Far From Normal
by The messed up writer
Summary: Alex, a teenager with a less than nice family and a terrible past. Xerxes, an alien mistreated by his own hive and beaten by his brethren. Alone, they are weak. But together, they may be able to escape this town before it claims them forever. Rated M for violence, death, language, gore, non-con/rape, and many other dark things. Buckle up buttercup. M/M
1. Chapter 1: The Prologue

Chapter 1: The Prologue

A jolt woke me up instantaneously. It was a jolt so hard that my stomach felt as though it had gotten twisted up and sprained. My face was soaked in cold sweat and tears, and they pooled on the bed around me. I was panting for breath so badly I felt like I was going to pass out into the dreaded dream realm once more. As my eyes shot open, I could still see vivid images of that bastard man who haunted my dreams in my sleepy eyes. He would never leave me be, always standing in the corner of my eye or yelling at me in my head.

I chanted the same thing in my head that I always did. _He's dead, Alex, you saw the police shoot him._

It never helped.

As my mind began to wake up, I slowly realized that I was no longer in my nightmare anymore. I took a deep breath in once the hyperventilating had stopped, and let a short and shaky breath out. My mind went through the reasons as to why I was up with a pain in my stomach, but it only took about two seconds to figure it out.

"Goddamn night-terrors," I sleepily mumbled. I had been lucky if, for the past eighteen months, I got more than four hours of sleep. I felt like crying and wailing so loud in sadness and despair from these damned nightmares – that damned man – but my eyes were so dry and sore from the countless days before of me crying in my sleep and after I escaped that day's nightmare. It was like I built a resistance to crying like an alcoholic builds a resistance to alcohol. And I couldn't scream or wail, lest I wake mother up.

I kicked the gray covers off my body and sat at the edge of my bed. I could feel another headache coming on. They always came on when the demons screamed their loudest. I got up and grabbed my thin gray jacket, as well as my watch with small blue numbers glowing lightly on it, quickly putting them both on. I knelt down and searched under my bed, until I found the hidden silver box. I grabbed it with ease and got up, taking it with me as I left my room.

Over the years, I had managed to get a technique of where to step and how to step in this old house to avoid making any sound whatsoever, and because the doors made virtually no noise, I too made virtually no noise. I walked through the house, quickly making my way to the living room. I looked at the clock on the wall as I made my way to the backdoor through the kitchen. _2:23_ it read. Next to the clock was the green telephone that still had light red hand-prints around it. The blood never did wash off completely.

* * *

I doubled my speed as I saw the house in the distance. I was going to make it! My feet continued to crash down into the muddied ground as I hobbled to the back door as fast as I could, clutching my stomach as I did so. I grabbed the screen door and nearly ripped it open, and then proceeded to open the back door itself. Except it didn't open. It was locked.

"Hey! Open up! Mom!" I yelled, banging on the door as I did so. I continued to look behind me, keeping my guard up no matter what. I proceeded to bang more on the door, until I saw the light in one of the windows turn on. "Hey! It's me, Alex!"

I looked behind myself and into the woods once again, and nearly broke down at the horrific and impossible sight. Walking out of the woods was Frank, sporting a beaten and bruised face, a bullet wound in the chest, and a sore attitude, especially towards me.

"No... how the hell are you still alive?! I killed you – I saw it!" He said nothing as he inched closer and closer each second. I was terrified, I had nothing to defend myself with. I backed myself up to the door and looked down at my stomach sickly, eyeing the handle of the kitchen knife still lodged into my guts.

This was going to suck.

Refusing to die and give up the fight, I grabbed the handle of the blade shakily, and began to pull as hard as I could on it. It decimated anything the serrated blade touched in my insides, and I cried loudly as I tugged harder on it. Fresh new blood was coming out profusely, and I began to have second thoughts about my actions. But I never stopped, noticing that Frank was already midway between the house and the nearby set of woods.

With one final and deafening scream of agony, I ripped the bloodied knife out. I was panting and wheezing, feeling blood drip out down my stomach. The worst part was over. I wrapped my left arm tightly around the wound.

The door finally opened, causing me to collapse backwards, screaming in shock.

"Alex? What's going on? Do you know what time it is?" Mom questioned. I just ignored everything she said and got up, crying from the pain. I slammed the door shut and locked it, smearing blood on the handle. "Alex? Alex, what did you do?"

A loud bang was heard on the door. "Open the door, 'Sandra! Alex's been a bad kid and needs a disciplinin'!" He yelled. She looked at me, muddied and bloodied, clutching my gut and holding a weapon. She looked like she wanted to help, but then she heard the pounding on the door, telling her to either help me and we both die, or she can just ditch me to save herself. Her hand going for the door handle was her answer.

In a quick attempt to stop her from even touching the door handle, I slashed the knife at her hand, screaming as I did so and cutting the back of it open, letting more red drops fall down to the floor. She screamed as well.

"Back... up...," I grunted. I aimed the knife at her as she began to back up. I was slashing and stabbing at the air near her as she quickly turned around and locked herself in her bedroom. I went for a small table with a vase on it, knocked said vase off, and propped it under her door handle as insurance. I hobbled over to the kitchen and nearly ripped the phone off the wall. My hands shakily put in the number _9-1-1_.

The phone rang once. The back door cracked under Frank's weight and strength.

The phone rang twice. A hinge fell off.

The phone picked up. The door fell down.

Going as quickly as I could, I forced myself to say the address as clearly as I could and proceeded to hobble to the bathroom, leaving the phone hanging there. The operator would hopefully get the hint that something was going down here.

* * *

I put the box under my arm and opened the door slowly, letting the noise from the slight drizzle of rain inside. The rain clouds covered the full moon that was supposed to be out tonight, though small streaks peeked through gaps in the clouds, as did a mildly dimmed version through the clouds themselves. I quickly went outside and closed the door silently behind me. I put my hood up and got down into a semi-crouch position as I quickly made my way to the nearby forest.

Once I entered the bowls of mother nature, I pulled my hood down and started to actually walk through the peaceful forest. The rain grazed my face many times, and it felt nice each time it did. I began to let myself become less silent the further in I went, not having to worry about anybody or mother back at the house.

I continued to walk for a while, and right when I began thinking I got turned around, I saw the collapsed old cabin. The trail here was overgrown with weeds and grass, but the minor details like the carving in some of the trees was what helped guide me here.

I walked inside the building, ash and dust still present from the fire, though it was slowly getting washed away by the rain. Walking over to an old and destroyed couch in the center of the room, I sat down on it. I set the box I grabbed earlier beside me and opened it. Inside of it was a revolver of some make and model I did not know. It had some engravings going around the handle, through the cylinder, and up to the barrel where they ended. It was the gun that father used to always wave around, threatening me.

It was the same gun he had used to shoot Tony.

A tear dropped from my face and onto the handle of the weapon. I grabbed the gun and looked at it closely. It was beautiful with the carvings and white wooden handle, but it had such a bad past that made me want to destroy it.

I popped open the chamber, and saw six empty holes, one for each bullet. Five were used a year and a half ago here, while the last one was lost in the confusion and chaos on that one fateful night.

After a few moments of examining the weapon, I got up and began to tear the cabin apart, searching in any containers to between each of the floorboards for the one lost round.

I walked back over to the sofa after an hour of pointless searching and sat down on it, cradling my aching head. I was getting really sick of not finding any ammo around this place. I would've thought the bastard would've stocked up a bit more on ammunition. I sighed loudly as I got up, doing a quick one-over of the cabin, until I spotted it. To the right of an old throwing knife stuck in the wall near a burnt dart board, was a round, cylinder-like bronze object on the ground between the floorboards. It glinted ever-so-slightly in the dim moonlight.

A sad smile came onto my face as I saw it, memories flooding back as I looked at it.

* * *

We limped up the basement stairs, leaning on each other to stay up and not fall. I clutched my beaten and bruised ribs, along with the hole in my right arm. Tony was holding his side and shoulder, as well as feeling his face for any major marks that may have appeared within the last hour or so.

By the time we got to the top of the stairs, I would have liked to have died. I was wheezing and coughing, nearly collapsing, but not as bad as Tony. Poor bastard was shot, twice! How he was still alive was beyond me.

"Shit dude, I gotta... I gotta sit down," I sputtered.

"Don't... you won't want to get up..." He responded. I sighed at the true statement, and walked past the crappy, but comfortable looking couch. I put my weight on the arm of it for a second, in an attempt to catch my breath, but Hell gives no mercy.

As I moved away from the couch, I heard rapid footsteps coming towards us.

"Look out!" Tony yelled. I looked to my right, and saw the 'somehow still alive bastard' running at me with a kitchen knife. I tossed Tony to the left and tossed the glass lantern at Frank, which missed horribly, but broke behind him and started a small fire. I made an attempt to dodge him, but I was grabbed by the large, bloodied man. A sharp pain burned through my stomach as he shoved me to the floor, where the back of my head collided with the floorboards. I groaned as I lifted my head up, and was terrified to see the handle of the kitchen knife sticking out of the right side of my stomach. I whimpered, and was purely shocked at the sight and pain of the weapon in me. Tears flowed down my face as I ripped my eyes away from the sight of it. I groaned again as I shook myself free of the terror, and attempted to get up.

I looked to my left and saw Tony attempting to load the revolver, but his hand fumbled and dropped the bullet. He went for the last round in his pocket, but Frank was already on top of him at that point. He kicked the revolver out of Tony's hand, which landed beside me. I grabbed it quickly, and saw that Frank was beating Tony's face in with powerful punches ever so slowly. My knees wobbled, but I forced them to stop as I clutched the barrel of the gun in my right hand. I was about to bash the back of Frank's head in, or at least try to, when I heard Tony scream "Alex!" as loud as he could. I looked at his right hand move upwards and open up, then a small object flying towards me that glinted at me from the fire behind me. It caught me off guard, but I managed to grab it. Frank didn't seem to notice this, likely thinking it was just a general cry for help. I quickly popped the cylinder of the gun open and put the bullet in, closing it back up.

"Frank!" I yelled, way louder than Tony. My side hurt so bad right now, like fire ants were crawling in and out of the wound. Frank stopped wailing on Tony and slowly turned around towards me. I pulled the hammer back on the gun, listening to the satisfying sound of the cylinder turning to the loaded round. His eyes went wide, and before he could even move or say anything, I forced myself to pull the trigger. The gun nearly flew out of my hands, but I kept a firm grip on it. I could see Frank fly backwards a little bit as a big splotch of red formed on his chest.

He was dead. He had to be now.

Tony coughed, spat up blood, and forced himself on his feet. He walked over to me, his hand grabbing my shoulder, which was hunched over, and said, "Let's leave, Alex."

* * *

I knelt down onto the ground, stuck my hand between the stiff boards, and picked up the fallen bullet. Small tears went down my face, mixing with the rainwater. I turned around and walked over to the couch, loading the bullet into the revolver as I walked. The floorboards creaked under my weight, until one of them could no longer handle the stress and strain, collapsing underneath me.

"Oh shi-!" I said as I attempted, and failed miserably, to catch myself. My head collided with the floor hard, knocking me out cold.

* * *

The rain got harder, turning from a gentle drizzle to violent thunderstorm. A loud lightening strike made my eyes shoot open. My eyes were red and crusty, and my forehead pounded, especially on the right side of it. I let my eyes close once more, but another lightening strike made me flinch and jolt up halfway in a sitting up motion. I sighed. I wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon, was I? Probably for the best.

Groaning in pain, I sat up fully. I wiped my eyes and felt my forehead, feeling a small bump on the right side of it that was extremely sensitive. I looked around, noticing that I was still in the burned out cabin, but I was on the couch. I know I wasn't on the couch before I fell, so how the hell was I on it now? I was also in some form of blanket, but it was moist and warm, like it was alive somewhat. It was comfy, but I immediately shook it off and laid it beside me, wondering what it was and who gave it to me.

The revolver... it was gone. I looked where I had passed out earlier and it wasn't there. Its distinguishable weight wasn't on me either. Whoever, or whatever gave me the blanket must have taken it and hidden it, or maybe even kept it for themselves. I wasn't even going to begin searching for it, I was drained.

The couch was facing one of the partially destroyed walls, and I just stared at it, noticing that some of the smaller holes that were once in the wall were now covered in a black material, like a thick mold. It looked like tubes and wires, but it seemed natural and real, not artificial. It did feel warmer in here now, but only slightly so as their were still two fairly large holes that even I could crawl through if I oh-so wanted to. Hell, one of the holes was one of the only windows that was in this cabin, and it was now a gaping hole with little deadly shards scattered around it to let the cold air that was outside in.

"Hel-" My voice was cracking badly. Clearing my throat, I restarted, "Hello? Anyone there?" I hear no response but the downpour outside. I sigh. "Thanks for the... blanket? Whatever you are, thanks," I say. I got up slowly, beginning to feel like I'm being watched.

"Can whoever or whatever you are come out?" I was eerily calm at the fact that someone else was out here. I don't think it fully set in that I wasn't alone. This time I heard something new. It was a hiss, like a snake's but much deeper and longer. I didn't move for the longest time after hearing this, alarms going off in my head, but none of them actually registering to my brain, like I knew it was there, but I couldn't react to it appropriately. I just silently muttered "What the fuck?" real slowly and even more slowly made my way to the doorway that led out of here.

However, as I was about to leave, a black form twisted and dropped down in front of said doorway. It was gigantic, beating me by a couple of feet in height without a doubt. It looked like a pure, living weapon from the darkest and most twisted minds from Hell itself. It shouldn't even exist. And yet, it was right here, right in front of me.

Blocking my escape.

I jumped slightly, my brain not understanding what was happening for about a second and a half until it forced me to jump back so hard that I fell flat on my rear. I started to crawl backwards as it slowly made its way into the cabin. As he did this, I immediately scrambled to my feet and ran into the living room, grabbing the handle of the earlier seen knife stuck in the wall. I started to pull it with all of my force, and I half expected the handle to come off while the blade stayed in the wall, but it came out in one piece. I swung around from the force of me pulling the knife out of the wall, seeing the beast directly in front of me now. My heart-rate skyrocketed when I saw how close it was without hearing it first. As I came around like a bat out of hell, the blade in my hand slashed the creature's chest. The hide was thick, but it drew blood, which ended up squirting a small amount on my right shoulder, nearing the area where the shoulder ended near the neck.

My face scrunched and my eyes watered as pain flared throughout my shoulder and arm. My mouth was open in a form of silent scream as I doubled over in pain. An audible _sizzling_ sound was heard as the skin, fat, and muscle began to melt. I reached my hand up to my shoulder, but never touched the wound in fear of burning my hand, so it just hovered there. This went on for about two seconds until the being wrapped its tail tightly around my neck, cutting off airflow to my brain and lungs and quickly causing me to pass out.

* * *

The next time I awoke, I was still in the cabin, but on the... wall. Huh, not something you typically see. My neck ached and my shoulder burned slightly, but it was nowhere near as excruciating as it was earlier. It was this soreness that instantly got me out of my groggy state of feeling instantly.

The area of my jacket and shirt near my right shoulder was replaced with nothing but a slight charred area on the edges of the clothing. I also noticed the appearance of a black substance covering my right shoulder. It looked like the same stuff that was on the walls earlier. In fact, it _was_ the same stuff that hung me up on this wall.

I began to struggle against my restraints, but had to stop due to the sudden pain flaring up in my shoulder. My breath was hitched due to the pain, but I took in a deep breath to calm my nerves and my breathing. Once I felt like I was breathing fine and my heart-rate was down, I tried struggling some more, mainly using my left arm instead of my right due to the injury. I continued to do so, ignoring the gently increasing intensity of pain in my shoulder as I did so.

Just as I hear a crack and the possibility of the restraint on my left arm giving, I see the beast once again, dropping down from the ceiling. _How long had it been there, watching me?_ I think. It stares at me once it drops down, watching me struggle in its binds. My left arm gives a little bit more with another audible crack, which prompts the beast to walk towards me now. It still gives me a stare that could cut through my soul, right up until it stops directly in front of my face. It stands there for a minute until I finally say something.

"Well, you gonna kill me or not?" My throat was dry, but I managed to hold the sentence on the first go and cough afterwards.

The being said nothing as it leaned its head in against mine.

The second its head touched mine, I felt something powerful, something unnatural. My mind began to open up forcefully, but as it slowly opened, I felt a million and one voices impale my brain in the most excruciatingly painful way possible. It felt like I had a migraine, a concussion, and ten people stomping my head in, each time stomping a little harder. I screamed in agony, but it was drowned out by the night and rain.

I passed out. _Again._

* * *

The first thing I felt was a dull throb in my head, and a tingly feeling in my shoulder. I felt sick to my stomach. It was so bad, that I instantly bolted up and ran about two feet before my hands grabbed both sides of a doorway and I retched. Not much came up but stomach acid and foam, which I had to enjoy choking on and coughing up. I spat out the rest of the bitter stuff, then promptly swung around the doorway and collapsed back down onto the ground against the wall. I felt so tired and weak all of a sudden, and I would've fallen back asleep if it weren't for one thing.

Where was _it_?

Where the hell was the thing that knocked me out and made my brain feel like it was being liquefied? I looked at my shoulder, the organic bandage thing was still there. Had it done this, the bandage?

Before I could make heads or tails of the situation, I saw the ground move, just about where I was passed out earlier. 'Cept it wasn't the floor, it was the thing, the creature. As it slowly got up and headed towards me, I faintly recalled a warmth near me when I woke up. The thing must have slept with me. It stopped directly in front of me, then got down in front of me, crossing its legs. It was still taller than me.

"What... what are you? And what did you do to me?" I paused briefly. "Can you even understand me?"

" _Yes, and I apologize. It was not my intention to harm you earlier,"_ He said. It was certainly a male voice. It was a fairly deep voice, deeper than mine, and it had an accent that was odd. I had never even heard of an accent remotely close to the one I heard in its voice. It sounded nice.

Without skipping a beat, I said "How are you speaking? You aren't even moving your mouth, and why didn't you say anything before?"

" _I had to create a link to you, so that we could speak. I believe your kind calls it 'telepathy'?"_ He explained. _"The process to create the link is also what caused... tonight's events... when you passed out again. My brethren must have been trying to search your mind all at once, trying to see why we had another soul in the connection."_

Last night's events began flooding back. Many of them were unwelcome, but they still barged in nonetheless. The pain the connection caused would have been amazing to forget.

I laid there for a few more seconds, before finally speaking. "So... what was the point of even making a connection with me? I mean, you could have easily hid from me, and I could have left without any knowledge of you."

" _You were bound to see me eventually. I have certainly made my presence clear with the walls and your blanket which, you are welcome,"_ He explained. A few seconds of silence passed, when out of the blue, he asks _"Who is Tony?"_

I jump at the question, or the name, or maybe both. My entire body stopped at the sound of his name. A pang of sadness striked my chest, and I felt short of breath, though I managed to roll it off as though nothing happened. How did he know of Tony? Maybe I mumbled it in my sleep or something. I inwardly groaned, as I _really_ did not want to talk about that, not right now.

"He was a friend of mine, but now he's gone. End of story." Just saying that much blew in of itself. The alien visibly drooped at tad bit at that. I sighed and looked at my watch, which read _4:32_. My eyes went wide. "Oh, fuck me running! I've gotta go, but I'll come back! I promise!" I never gave the alien a chance to respond or do anything, as I was already wobbling out the front door as I finished my sentence.

 **I have never spent that much time on a chapter in my year and a half of writing. This was first started in mid-September! That was five fucking months ago! *Sigh*, I digress. Expect three more extremely slow chapters as I procrastinate all of my other stories.**


	2. Chapter 2: Revelations

Chapter 2: Revelations

 _Jackson's gonna fuckin' kill me,_ I thought as I sprinted down the sidewalk. My shoulder began to flare up again, and my stomach was beginning to ache from the scar and all of the movement. I was going full steam towards the parking lot Jackson and I had scoped out yesterday.

Jackson was my partner in crime, literally. He found me jobs, mostly stealing cars, and I got paid. Tony had recommended me to him, as he knew I needed a job to get out of the house, and while it wasn't what I was expecting, I was good at it, and it paid well. It was legally questionable at best, but it worked.

However, me and Jackson had been scoping this parking lot near Simmons Park, a rich neighborhood. The plan was for me to go in there and to jack a black '69 Mustang - beautiful thing - and to take it down to the chop shop several blocks away. The job was supposed to start at _4:00_ … it was _4:53_ now.

And so, here I was, sprinting down the street at the ass-crack of dawn in the middle of a thunderstorm with dirty and slightly slimy clothing and a shoulder with some resin-like stuff on it. I was just about a block away now, and as I rounded a corner to the parking lot, I noticed that there was a guard near the entrance.

I attempted to do a quick U-Turn, but I ended up slipping and crashing to the ground. Scrambling up as fast as I could, I darted behind the wall and peeked around the corner, getting a short glance at the guard before getting back behind the wall. The guy looked young, maybe early twenties. He had a set of headphones on, probably connected to a Walkman. I heard footsteps to my right coming towards me, and I saw that it was just some random guy. An idea came to mind, but I had to act quick.

 _This better work_ , I thought.

Backing up and getting a running a start, I started screaming maniacally. I ran around the corner and straight towards the guard, yelling, "Help me! He's gonna kill me! Help!" The guard instantly turned towards me and came rushing out, ripping his headphones off in the process and ditching his Walkman. I ran straight for him, still screaming, and grabbed him by the collar. I pointed towards where I came from. "He's coming! He's gonna kill me!" At the same moment as I pointed towards where I came from, the man from earlier came around and, amazingly, started walking towards us.

"Stay here, kid, let me go have a chat with him," He said.

"But he'll kill you!" I whisper-screamed.

He looked at me with the most stupid, goddamn grin I had ever seen. "Let me be the judge of that. Stay here." He proceeded to walk towards the random man, pointed at him, and said, "Hey! I need to have a word with you." While he was doing this, I was already beside the Mustang and was listening to _Fight for Your Right_ on a stolen Walkman. Reaching into my pocket, I grabbed my set of picks and went at the lock, getting it open in record time. I ripped the door open and got in, closing it silently. Taking out the small screwdriver I had brought with me earlier today, I jammed it in as hard as I could into the ignition and turned, listening to the car flicker and come to life.

"Whoo Hoo!" I screamed in joy. I saw the guard from earlier turn around at the loud sound of the car starting up, and he instantly realized who was in it. He started yelling inaudibly as I put the car in drive and floored it. As I was whooping and hollering, I made an attempt to avoid the large puddle of rain near the guard, swerving to the right, then back to the left. Turning on the windshield wipers, I slowed down and turned to the right, where I floored it immediately afterwards and started to fishtail, but I managed to keep it under control. I drove straight down the road, making a few more turns here and there going towards the chop shop.

" _Hello?"_

I swerved to the left in shock, then back into the right lane, narrowly missing an incoming semi truck. I ripped the headphones off and threw them in the passenger seat.

"Jesus fucking Christ! Wouldn't this type of thing have a range to it or something before it stops working?" I screamed to myself.

" _It does."_ Or maybe not to myself. I slammed on the breaks and swerved to the right, listening to the tires squeal.

"Where are you?" I looked around at the nearby buildings searching for the alien, and nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard a loud _thump_ on the roof. I groaned inwardly as I reached over and opened the passenger door. "Get in." I moved the headphones and Walkman out of the passenger seat and tossed them into the back, watching the alien gracefully swing into the car. He slinked down as far as he could, but I really didn't care that his head was still peaking out over the top. People would just think that it was a trick on their eyes or something.

The alien, now that I was actually paying attention, was incredibly large. He had wiry muscles along his arms, as well as a set of ribs that jutted around his body. I remember seeing dorsal tubes on his back earlier, which were now gone, probably folded into themselves or something. His barbed tail wrapped around his waist and pooled in his lap. Light gray marks lined his body, which I would've have easily missed were it not for the car light inside staying on for a few seconds. He had an air around him that made me want to lean on his arm, which was weird, but I ignored it.

"Dude, why did you follow me? I said I'd come back."

He gave a long hiss, and said, " _I… I am sorry. I just… The silence unnerves me,"_ He said solemnly. I nodded in understanding.

"Okay, I can understand that," I said. I started driving again, but much less recklessly now, considering that there was a passenger in the car. "So… do you have a name?"

" _Xerxes,"_ He simply put.

"Name's Alex. Nice name, by the way," I said. A little bit of pride seemed to radiate off of him at the compliment, which made me happy. We sat there in silence after that, however, and I began to think about where he could have come from, why he was here, etcetera etcetera, until a question came to mind. "You said something about brethren earlier. Are there more your kind?"

The question must have caught him off guard, as he twitched ever-so slightly at that. I could swear that I even began to hear growling come from him too. I gently grabbed his shoulder.

"If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to," I said. His growling lowered in intensity and he looked at me.

" _Alex, their are at least a hundred of my kind in a cave a few hours from where I met you, but none of them are like me,"_ He said.

"How do you mean?" I questioned.

" _I mean, if they see you, or me, or anything with a heartbeat, they will kill them. And now that we are linked, they know that I have betrayed them."_ Wait, what?

"Then why did you link to me?! Are they gonna hunt us down or something?" This was really, really, _really_ bad.

" _I thought I could block the connection! And… I do not know, probably,"_ He said. I turned onto a back road, only three blocks away from the chop shop.

"Great, just fucking peachy," I said. "How long until they start coming after us?"

" _Most likely, we will have a few days until they do a full-scale assault on us, but we will likely see lone scouts and such until then."_

 _All the more reason to get the hell out of town I suppose,_ I thought. "So, we have a very small amount of time to get the hell out of here. Great." My mind was lost in thought as to what I would do. I had less than a week to escape hundreds of killer aliens, one of which was in my car and had caused all of this. I sighed. _Wonderful._

I made another turn and began to slow down, seeing the garage in the distance.

"You need to go hide. He can't see you, or who knows what'll happen," I said. Xerxes got out without a word and ran on all fours towards the forest. I sighed. _Alone again._ I slowly pulled the car up to the garage and honked the horn, waiting for the garage door to open. A minute went by, then two.

 _Where the hell is he?_ I thought. I honked again, and got the same result. I groaned and opened the door, getting out of the car, and slammed it shut. "Jackson! It's me!" I yelled. Again, nothing. "Goddamn it," I muttered. I walked to the front door and tried to open it, but found that it was locked. I banged on it loudly, yelling that it was me again. Another minute went by. _What the hell is going on? This isn't normal…_

Getting out my picks, I got down on one knee started going at the lock. It was unlocked in mere seconds. I opened the door. "Jackson! I got som-" I was hit with this awful, familiar stench of what could only be blood, and as i opened the door fully, I was met with a horrific sight.

Inside the garage was a bunch of tools and machinery, all strewn about and in a mess. A window to the far left was busted inwards, a shelf was knocked over and leaning against a wall, and a trail of blood lead to the back room. A bloody handprint was on the doorknob. I was shaking.

"Ja… Jackson? It's me… Alex. Where are you?" I breathed out. I walked into the garage slowly, making sure to avoid the tools and parts on the ground. I kneeled down and grabbed a wrench quickly, clutching it with both hands in a swinging position. "Jackson? Buddy, I got the Mustang… sorry I couldn't come in earlier man… I just got caught up in some stuff." Their was so much blood on the floor, and I gave up my attempts to avoid it after stepping in it three times. I was in front of door sooner than I liked. I could hear a shuffling and crunching noise. "I'm coming in, Jackson. Don't shoot me," I joked.

My left shakily grabbed the doorknob as I raised the wrench in my right. I breathed in, and slowly opened the door.

What met me was a much more potent version of the stench and louder crunching noise, and when I peeked my head around the doorframe and to the right, I immediately jumped back and felt all air leave my lungs. I put my hand to my mouth to hide any noise from coming out, and peaked around the doorframe again.

Inside was another knocked over shelf that just barely missed the doorway. Behind it was a bed with Jackson on it, and a jet black creature over him. It looked like Xerxes, minus the scars. The alien had its face buried in Jackson's upper chest, and then he pulled back and grabbed Jackson's ribs, which he ripped out, one by one. He put his face back into Jackson. Tears fell from my eyes at the sight. A series of disgusting sounds came from the alien eating Jackson for about five seconds as I stood there, frozen in place, until the alien got up and slowly turned around to me. It had a terrifying grin covered in blood.

I let out a shriek as it slowly walked over to me. I backed up and slammed the door shut, but it had managed to get its tail in between the doorframe and the door. The door flew open, and the alien jumped over the shelf and out into the main garage in one swift motion. As I backed up, it came forward slowly and menacingly until it gave a short hiss, and then jumped forward at terrifying speeds. I yelped as I jumped to my right and landed on my side, looking at where I just was and seeing that the alien was already pouncing on me. I tried to scramble away, but my foot was grabbed and dragged backwards before I even had a chance. It flipped me around so that I was on my back and got directly on top of me. Everything went silent as I only whimpered. It seemed to be looking over me, examining me, before it reared back and got into my face, screeching at deafeningly loud levels. I screamed as saliva and Jackson's blood flew on my face and swinged my wrench at the side of his head, sending him to my left side a little bit and stunning him. My ears were ringing terribly now, but I forced myself to get up and began to sprint towards the exit. The shelf that I had spotted earlier was in my path, but I quickly vaulted over it and planted my right foot on one of the board's edge, using it to propel myself across the rest of the large shelf. I was mere feet away from the door, but the alien had gotten to my right side. It grabbed my right wrist and stopped as I sprinted towards the door, but instead of leaving the garage, momentum carried me to the right where I was spun around and facing the alien. It brought its right hand down and proceeded to slash upwards at my stomach and chest deeply, ripping the clothing, skin, and muscle. I yelled as I stumbled backwards and felt my back crash with the garage door. The alien dashed towards me again, but I never had a chance to dodge him this time. He grabbed me by my left shoulder and right hip, and proceeded to toss me into a still standing shelf which fell over and blocked the door. I groaned in pain and coughed. The alien got closer and closer, and I forced myself to get up and limp towards the doorway.

"Help!" I shouted as loudly as I could. I dropped down onto my knees and began to crawl under the shelf, but my leg got grabbed once more. I grabbed onto the doorway with both of my hands as he tugged me backwards, his nails cutting into my leg. "No!" I kicked at him, but it did nothing except make him more and more mad. With one final pull, my grip on the doorway was lost and I was pulled out from under the shelf. The alien, once again, flipped me back onto my back, but I made sure to come around swinging with the wrench when he did. I managed to get a good hit on him this time, as I was able to see one of his fangs fly to my left. This didn't do anything, however, as he managed to grab my arms and pin them to my sides before I could swing again. One terrible attempt at throwing the wrench at him later, the alien grinned a terrifying grin as its tail rose up behind him, and I yelled in agony as the tip pierced through my hand. For a split second, I thought that I had saw Frank laughing maniacally instead of the alien, but that was quickly replaced by said alien screeching in surprise and being tackled off of me by another alien. I clutched my hand to my bleeding chest and slowly cried. I heard a loud screech, and then a crunching noise. I only closed my eyes as the blood flowed out and around me, mixing with Jackson's. Hearing padded footsteps quickly get closer, I opened my eyes and saw an alien, dripping in rainwater and having very faint gray lines on him. I cried even harder as he knelt down beside me.

" _Alex? By the Queen-Mother, I-"_ Xerxes never had a chance to finish. I wrapped my arms around him and buried by face into his shoulder, sobbing loudly like a child.

"I… I saw him. I saw F-Frank," I sobbed loudly. Xerxes wrapped his arms around me.

" _I am so sorry, Alex. I dragged you into this mess of mine, and I promise you this, for as long as I live, I will protect you,"_ Xerxes said.

I sobbed harder. "Thank you… please… let's go…" I felt myself being lifted up and pressed against his chest, which burned in pain and smeared my blood on him. I lifted my tear-soaked face and watched as he stepped over the metal shelf blocking the door and outside. The storm was unrelenting, even as dawn approached, and so I was assaulted with cold rain as he left the building. I looked at the car, the headlights still on and the engine still rumbling. "Xerxes… Xerxes, set me down. We need to get the car…" I mumbled.

" _Forget it, we can come back for it later,"_ He said.

"The battery'll die if we don't take it… At least take the screwdriver out of the ignition."

He said nothing as he set me down beside the car and crawled into the passenger seat. I explained to him how to properly take it out, and he did, killing the car and letting the only sound be that of the pounding rain.

* * *

I handed Alex the screwdriver and effortlessly picked him up, and proceeded to sprint towards the cabin through the woods. As I did, the kid had buried his head into my shoulder, and gave a short shiver. I mindlessly shifted him closer, and began to think on how I had just killed one of my own kind.

I didn't know him, which made it only slightly easier to do what I just did, but not by much. He was a scout, that much was obvious by his smaller size, and, judging from his cockiness to not dispatch of Alex quickly, he was likely young.

I was terrified as to what I had done. Scout or not, he was dead, and only a short time ago, he was alive. And now, word would likely be sent back to The Queen, and because treason and murder are two very different things, she would likely send my kind to kill Alex and I a lot faster than I was hoping. Or at least, I would die. She would likely have Alex used as a host and make me watch as he died slowly.

I pledged to myself that if were to both get captured, I would have to mercy kill Alex before any of that happened. He doesn't deserve to die like that… not after what I dragged him into.

He began to shake and sob horribly, and I felt like a piece of shit. I looked at him, only seeing a part of his messy and soaking wet hair and the back of his second skin, which, once being gray, it was now covered in slightly dried blood. The rain didn't do much except help the blood spread across my body, not even washing it off. I could feel his blood, his life force, dripping down my stomach, then my thighs, and finally, towards my legs as I ran. It also began to slide down behind my neck and towards my back, catching on my dorsal tubes. I ran faster.

I drew out a hiss. _I dragged him into this, and now he is injured and in mental anguish, all because of my actions. I should have just taken his weapon and left it at that,_ I thought. _But no. I was careless and stupid, and now we were both going to die. Maybe I should have stayed at the hive and accepted my place…_

I forcibly shook those thoughts away, shaking my head at the same time. _No! They would have killed you if you stayed! You need to remember that…_

* * *

I stared at the two humans absolutely covered in resin and stuck to the wall, the two being obvious mates. While I couldn't understand their language, it was obvious that they were trying to call for help, something that would never come due to how far they were in the hive. They had both been on the wall for a few hours, and the dead carriers were beside their feet. They had both been able to piece together what was going to happen to them from what they were able to see from where they were, seeing the dead lining the walls with massive holes in their chests and ribs poking outwards.

A loud _crack_ came from the female, and she groaned in pain.

It was time.

I got beside her and began to brush her fur on top of her head and purred, trying to calm her down and distract her. I felt sick on the inside from our horrible reproduction cycle, but I knew it had to happen.

" _What are you doing?! Let them scream in agony! I want to hear them die slowly!"_ The Queen yelled.

" _Why? What is the point of their pointless suffering?"_ I said. I backed away from the humans, doing as The Queen asked, but I felt a pang of guilt strike me in the heart as the female began to weep violently.

" _They are nothing more than mere animals that are useful for our purposes. Does it matter how they die?"_ Another sharp crack could be heard, and her breath hitched and stopped for a few seconds, until she began to sob. I couldn't take it anymore, I could live with the scars. I resumed my purring and the petting of her fur, stealthily raising my tail blade into the air behind my back. Her screaming had stopped, but tears still slid down her cheeks. My blade slowly rose higher and higher, until it was just behind my shoulder, still out of her eyesight.

" _Child, if you kill her, the rest of the hive will leave you in a mess of your own blood. Do. Not. KILL HER!"_ The Queen roared. I ignored it, but accepted my fate. I let my rumbling get as powerful as it could get, until her eyes began to shut slightly. I took this as my moment, and let the blade shoot over shoulder, behind her head, into her skull, killing her instantly. The male screamed and cried at my actions.

" _CHILD! What are you doing?!"_ She said. " _Everyone near the lower chambers, make Xerxes bleed!"_ Panic filled me, but I refused to let it show. I went towards the male, and did what I did to his mate to him, gently purring and brushing his head-fur. I could hear the sounds of my brothers and sister rushing me, and I knew I had to pick up the pace. The male closed his eyes, and, barely above a whisper, said something. I took this as my queue and let my tail blade soar through the air and into the back of his skull as well, killing him instantly as well.

I let out a hiss, hearing the final _cracking_ of the female's chest, and soon after, the male's as well. The pup burst out, and gave a weak, but still loud screech. I turned around, and saw over twenty of my brothers and sisters, poised and ready to strike.

" _Just do it…"_ I said. They all launched outwards towards me, and were on me in less than half a second. I was tackled to the ground, and began to feel my body getting assaulted by razor-sharp claws and tail-blades, as well as deep, hard bites. However, it only lasted for a really short amount of time, because before I knew it, they were off of me. I wasn't in as much pain as I normally was, and I wondered what they were doing, what they were plotting.

" _Stand up, child."_ The Queen said. I looked around, seeing everyone in a circle around me, and shakily stood up. " _Bring him."_

A wall of my hive members parted open, and a lone scout came in, dragging something behind him. He then proceeded to swing whatever he was carrying around and tossed it, making it land right at my feet. I jumped at the sight.

On the ground, was a small human pup. He was unconscious, and covered in small cuts and scrapes, likely to be claw marks. His second skin consisted of a blue material around his legs and waist, and a weaker, red material that covered his body with a small, black lettering printed over it. I was confused.

" _Why is he here?"_ I questioned. The Queen gave a stuttered hiss that we could all hear, due to its sheer intensity.

" _Why, you just killed this pup's parents. Since you seem so driven to disobey your Queen, I suppose you can finish what you started and kill the pup,"_ She explained.

" _Wha… what?" I said. "No! I'm not going to kill him! Let him leave, his kind can help him!"_

" _If you don't do it, they will, and they can do it as fast as they want and however they want."_

" _What will he be used for? Food? He would barely feed one of us!"_ I roared. I heard moaning, and saw that the pup was beginning to stir.

" _That is not the point and you know that. I will give you to the count of five. You better make a decision fast."_

My body froze, and it felt impossible to move. I was going to have to kill their entire hive, including the pup. I should have let the two mates die in agony, then we wouldn't be here right now, would we? I could hear The Queen saying something, but it was muffled and unintelligible. I got down and laid the kid in my lap, gently purring as I did. He wasn't awake, but it helped myself stay somewhat calm. I brought my tail over my shoulder and grabbed it for more stability. As I positioned it just behind the pup's neck, all sound became unmuffled, and I heard a very dreadful " _Zero."_

I looked up, and saw that everyone was incredibly close to me now. In an instant, the pup was taken from me and thrown at the nearby wall, slamming against it and groaning in pain. At the same time, I was grabbed from behind and shoved to the ground, already in the process of being kicked and cut. I heard a high pitched scream, and what I could only assume to be pleas of help. I looked in the direction of the noise, and saw the pup being held down as someone was dragging a claw down his cheek rather slowly and deeply, leaving a small red trail. What followed was a horrific sight of that someone jamming his entire hand into the pup's stomach, and ripping out an organ, only to be followed by the ones holding the pup up to reach in and grab more of his organs. He screamed and cried, and after ten seconds, he ceased to move.

I felt numb, and could only feel the force of the kicks and punches, not the pain. I looked away as I saw them begin to eat what was left of the pup's organs and maul his body with vicious bites. A sizzling began to emanate around me as my blood began to pool around me, and I quickly passed out.

* * *

As he handed me the screwdriver, he began to run through the woods towards the cabin, hopping over dead logs and small rocks. I put the screwdriver in my pocket and snuggled my head back into his shoulder in an attempt to warm up from the cold rain. I shivered slightly, and felt myself being pushed closer to him, allowing me to have more access to his body heat. As he ran, I began thinking.

Why? Why did I see Frank then and there of all times and places? Just being able to see him like that, torturing me… it was fucking with my head. It just all seemed so real.

And, seeing Frank like that… it reminded me of Tony. I buried my face even further into Xerxes shoulder as sobs began to rack my body, making me a shaking mess.

* * *

We had limped out of the cabin together, both of us covered in blood that was not entirely our own. We were both leaning on each other for support, both of us on the verge of falling down.

As we got farther and farther away from the cabin, Tony began to get heavier. Each step seemed to add another ten pounds or so, and eventually, I could carry him no longer. He collapsed in the mud, and I noticed that he was bleeding heavily and that blood was covering my pants and parts of my ripped shirt. Blood was quickly beginning to mix with the puddle of mud and rainwater he was in.

Grabbing his arm, I said, "Tony… we need to leave now. You need to get up." His head was down, looking at his own feet, unmoving. "Tony? Please man, you have to get up." His head drifted upwards until our eyes locked together. His face was extremely pale, and his eyes were sunken in. Although it was pouring rain, I could swear that I saw tears falling down his cheeks.

"I can't…" He coughed. "I just… can't." His voice was scratchy and sounded as though it would give out any second now. I knelt down beside him, wincing as the knife shifted in my stomach.

"You can't give up, not yet! We're almost at the finish line, but I can't make it without you," I said. My eyes were beginning to water up.

"You're… you're gonna have to… Alex," He said, his voice continuously drifting off and giving out. "I want you… to know… that if I don't… make it-"

"Shut the fuck up, Tony. That's not funny. We're getting out of here, together," I said. My body was shaking. This wasn't happening.

"Alex… please… I need you to know… I love… you," He said. I closed my eyes and let the shakes take over my body as I cried.

"Oh, God… I love you, too," I sobbed. I continued to ball my eyes out, until I managed to choke out, "I'm so sorry I dragged you into this… Please… Don't leave…" I sobbed harder. "Tony?"

No response.

I opened my eyes and saw that he was unmoving. His chest didn't move, nor did his eyes.

"Tony?" I whimpered. Nothing. I wrapped my left arm around him and buried my face into his shoulder. "Oh, God… Please, no. Please don't leave me… I don't want to be alone again." I looked all over him, looking for something, a sign that he was somehow still here, but instead of finding that, I found that his left hand was holding my right. I sobbed harder, snot running down my nose and tears burning my eyes.

I sobbed and bawled and cried and screamed, until I felt weak and my eyes ached. I began to get up, and as I did, I brought my head to his face and gave him a small kiss on his lukewarm lips.

"I love you, too…"


	3. Chapter 3: Memories

Chapter 3: Memories

I charged through the cabin door hard, breaking the lock and a hinge in the process. Running over to the couch, I set Alex down as gently as I could. He had fallen asleep buried in my shoulder during the sprint here, which was still wet with tears and rain. I was coated in his blood, which was dripping on the floor. I hastily prepared the resin-bandage for application.

Extending my inner mouth, I let a dark, viscous drool drip from my jaws onto my hands as I morphed it into thick strips and chunks. I placed a chunk of it onto the palm of his right hand first to act as an anchor for the main part of the bandage. It was still wet and weak, but over time, it would dry and harden over his hand. I quickly made another strip and attached it to the original strip of resin, which I wrapped around the back of his hand, covering the small exit wound, as well as the much larger entry wound. Once that was done, I proceeded to take Alex's set of second skin off. I lifted him up gently and grabbed the gray skin, which was still wet with blood. Throwing it randomly, I went after his other layer. After a futile moment to take it off of him properly, I made a clean slice down the middle with a single claw, effectively cutting it in half and allowing me to peel it off of him. My breath hitched at the sight.

After I dispatched his second skin, I was able to see his chest. Aside from the four large lines going diagonally down his chest, he had a million and one old, pink lines going across the majority of his upper body. Specifically parts that would be hidden under his second skin. Some were small, some were much bigger. Many of them seemed darker, while others seemed to be lighter. The two that sticked out was a large vertical line on his right stomach that seemed like it was from some kind of deep wound, as well as a deep depression in his right forearm.

 _He… He is covered in scars… By the Queen-Mother, what has Alex gone through?_ I thought. His scars reminded me of mine, and I realized that, though we were different species from entirely different planets, we were not that different ourselves. A pang of sadness struck me as I thought on what life had done to him, but I didn't let that distract me as I formed the long strands of resin.

As carefully as I could, I applied the strands of thick and sticky resin to his chest, which I had to carefully wrap around his entire body. My carefulness was rewarded with Alex's uninterrupted sleep. I drew out a long hiss as I looked over my lower body, seeing crimson red drip off of me. I looked at his gray second skin on the ground near the couch, and saw that it was also an unnatural red. _I suppose this is the least I can do for now,_ I thought.

After checking if all of the exits and entrances were secure, I grabbed Alex's second skin and made my way outside. The sun was rising, but it was well hidden behind the storm clouds for now. A bolt of lightning struck somewhere, and a loud _crack_ was heard a few seconds later. I winced at the loud noise, but allowed myself to relax in the heavy and cold rain beating down my body. It felt nice, and as the blood drifted off of my body and onto the grass, I tried to wring the blood out of the second skin. It didn't completely come out, but it was now a pink instead of a dark red. I walked back to the cabin, dripping wet with water, not blood, and made sure to wring as much water as I could out of the skin.

 _What is the point to this second skin?_ I thought as I walked. _I highly doubt it serves as armor with how easily it was broken… Is it to conceal his scars? Does it even serve a purpose? Maybe-_

Everything grinded to a halt when I noticed a large black figure hunched over Alex's sleeping body. I growled and snarled savagely, immediately getting into an offensive stance and, knowing that he was likely a part of my hive, I yelled, " _Get away from him!"_

He turned around and looked at me. My assumption was correct, he was from my hive. " _Relax, suckling, I am not here to harm him, or you,"_ He said.

" _Why are you here, Dante? How did you even find me?"_ I demanded.

" _I found you because you never masked your scent, which was careless. However, that is not the point. The point is, I am here because I need to warn you,"_ He said. Any other brother or sister here and I would have killed them on the spot. However, Dante never contributed to the torture that they forced upon me, but he never stopped it either. He was a bystander, and while I could not fault him for ensuring his own life by not helping me, I couldn't help but be furious at him for the same reason. I hissed at him again.

" _Warn us of what? We know we have a few cycles before The Queen sends her forces after us."_

" _No, you do not,"_ He said.

" _What? How long do we have then?"_

He sighed. " _The Queen found out about what you did, and she is not happy at all. That scout you killed back there was going to be a praetorian, so now The Queen is furious. You have until sunset of the next cycle, and by then, you need to be gone forever."_

I pointed at Alex. " _What about him?"_

" _Everyone knows that you linked with him, so if he is not gone by then either, then The Queen has ordered for his harvesting. She has special plans for him if he is not gone."_ I felt my heart sink. He was stuck with me forever now, that just sealed it. I gave another hiss.

" _Why are you doing this? Why now of all times?"_ I questioned. He looked down for a few seconds, and then back up at me.

" _Because… I want to see you leave this place and never come back. You deserve that much, and I will try to help you as much as I can with that. You and him."_ He pointed to Alex.

" _I… thank you. Thank you for your assistance and your information, this will help us immensely. If there is any way I can repay you-"_ I was cut off as he began to walk towards the busted door.

" _All I ask for is that the two of you survive."_ And then he was gone. I sighed, and walked back towards the couch.

Lifting up Alex's head, I sat down on the couch and laid his head onto my lap as I began to purr and brush his long, brown fur. He was no longer losing blood, and the resin should help accelerate the healing. I looked over his sleeping body, looking at all of the scars and blood smeared across him. It amazed me just how many there were, and I realized that I probably didn't look any better. I looked over his face next, and saw that his eyes were red and his entire face was soaking wet from tears and the rain.

He shivered and shook a little, and I realized that the purpose of these second skins was to regulate their body temperature. Noting how one of his skins was destroyed, and the other was soaking wet, I began to create another blanket.

* * *

Everything was warm, and everything hurt.

Remembering a similar feeling long ago, I sat up quickly to inspect myself for wet blood and injuries, but instantly regretted it as sharp pain clawing raked across my chest. I winced slightly, and found that the same stuff on my shoulder was now covering my chest and hand, as well as the slimy, organic blanket laying on my lap. A long, dark, six-fingered hand wrapped around my left shoulder.

" _Calm down,"_ I heard Xerxes say in my head. My head pounded with every heartbeat, but his talking seemed to pierce that, and help to melt the pain away. " _You're safe."_

I groaned slightly, remembering everything that had happened, and carefully fell backwards onto Xerxes lap. He began to brush my hair and purr, which slightly weirded me out, but oddly calmed me down too. Goosebumps raced down my body from the cold, and I realized that my shirt and jacket were missing. I became anxious at this and started to wonder when he would ask the million dollar question. I wrapped the blanket tighter around me. "Where are we?" I asked.

" _Back at the cabin,"_ He said. " _How are you feeling?"_

"Better than earlier, that's for sure," I said. I remembered the pain, and I remembered seeing Frank. _The asshole's dead, it's over. Calm down_ , I told myself. I repeated this a few more times, until I was brought out of my trance.

" _As I was treating you earlier, I saw your body,"_ He said.

"Yeah?" I said. _Please don't bring it up,_ I thought. Thinking about how I got all of my marks made my stomach churn. I really wanted to tell him, but the words continuously disappeared before I could say them. I sat up, trying to form a plan on how to deal with this.

" _Okay, take as long as you need. If you are not ready, I will not push you."_ Wha - Oh, yeah, telepathy and all that. Shit.

"Sorry, I forgot you can hear my thoughts," I mumbled sheepishly. The dirt and grime on my shoes suddenly became interesting as I said, "I just.. I don't have it in me to discuss that. The memories it brings up aren't even memories, they're nightmares." I jumped a little when I felt Xerxes arms and tail drag me towards him and wrap around me when I finished speaking.

" _Calm down, Alex. It is fine."_

"Thanks," I sniffled. I awkwardly wrapped my arms around him and rested my head against his chest, which made him purr. Everything about the moment was really nice, and I felt myself relax into it. However, it didn't take long for me to realize that I was still shirtless and in a tight hug with an alien. I broke away from him and nervously rubbed the back of my neck. I did a quick glance around and spotted my jacket, along with what remained of my bloody shirt on the floor away from the couch.

"I'm… gonna go put my jacket on." I walked over and picked it up. It was obvious that he washed it, as it was wrinkled and damp, not soaking wet, as well as their being considerably less blood on it compared to the remnants of my shirt, which was absolutely covered in it. I put on the jacket. "Dude, thanks. You didn't have to do this."

" _I have a debt to you now, for what I have done. I know it is not much, but it is a start I suppose,"_ He said. My confusion showed, because he continued saying, " _I have put your life at extreme risk by contacting you. My actions nearly got you killed a couple of hours ago, and I feel terrible for it. I hate myself for what I have done, and I would not blame you if you did, too."_ He was pacing as he said this, but I put my hand up to stop him.

"...I can't hate you," I said.

" _What?"_ He was genuinely shocked. " _But you have nearly died due to my actions! Linking to you nearly stopped your heart! And one of my kind almost killed you! Now, you will have to leave this place forever because my association with you will make you a target for my kind!"_ He exclaimed. Everything he said was laced with powerful emotion, and it slightly reminded me of myself with everything that he said. " _And despite all of that, how can you not hate me?"_

"I mean, okay, the last, what? Five hours? They've been weird and slightly painful, in more ways than one, but I mean... I can't hate you for something that I've done." I sighed. He was the confused one now. "Earlier, you asked who Tony was. I said we were friends and that now he's gone… dead." My voice was already cracking and my resolve was breaking. I took a deep breath. It helped, but only slightly. "I'm the one that got him killed. I needed someone, anyone or I was going to fucking lose it. I tried for so long to latch onto the thought that I was going to survive no matter what, but I just couldn't survive on sheer willpower for that long alone…" Tears were sliding down my cheeks, and I was barely able to choke back my sobs. I looked him in the face.

"…I didn't want to die, Xerxes," I choked out. He was shocked, I could feel it radiate off of him for a moment. It subsided, and he launched himself at me and wrapped me in a tight hug. I finally stopped holding back and latched onto him desperately, barely even registering the throb in my shoulder and chest. I sobbed into his chest as he rubbed my back. "I didn't and don't want to die! I-I didn't want Tony to die! I loved him a-and wanted to be with him! But I killed him! I-I got him killed when all I wanted was to be happy…" He tightened his grip on me and squeezed me closer.

" _It is okay. You are not going to die, Alex, not while I am here. I promise you that I will stay true to my word and protect you for as long as I live. And you did not kill Tony. His death is not on you."_

I sniffed. "But it is! I dragged him into my mess and Frank killed him! I got him killed when I should've just left him be! Everyone knew the rumors of Frank, and yet I still let Tony be with me when we both knew the risks!" I was pissed at myself.

" _Listen to me, Alex. You loved him and he loved you, right?"_

The seemingly random question caught me off guard, and I said, "Y-yeah.. He did, and so did I."

" _If you loved each other, then you would have protected and died for each other. He died protecting you so that you could live, and I do not doubt for a second that if the roles were swapped, you would have died for him as well. Do not blame his death on yourself, blame it on the actual monster that did this - Frank."_

My heart hurt from all of the memories that came back. I remembered waking up in the basement of this very cabin, tied down to a chair with Tony across the room from me. I remembered him breaking out of his restraints and working on mine, until two shots rang out, and he collapsed. Frank walked past his body and began saying something to me, but I didn't hear a single word. He had destroyed my one chance at freedom from this Hell I lived in. He started to hit me, over and over again. He knocked my chair over and continued wailing on me, damn near beating me to death, until Tony somehow got up and tackled him. With the chair damaged from the fall and the restraints being loosened earlier, I was able to get up. Armed with a broken chair leg, I managed to bat his gun across the room before he could shoot me.

My head drifted downwards, but came back up with tears going down my face and my teeth grinding. I breathed in sharply and felt rage flow through me. "We fought tooth-and-nail to survive, and we got so _goddamn_ close!" I quietly screamed through clenched teeth. "We almost - almost! - killed my father, if you can even call the bastard that, before he killed us, but that he made sure that Tony died and I suffered just a little more before he did." The rage was gone, and I only felt weak and tired and sad now.

" _He was your… father?"_ Xerxes questioned. I felt him tighten his grip on me even more. " _And your scars… By the Queen-Mother. Alex… You have a powerful soul, and an incredible will to live. You refused to give up in the face of death itself, and you survived."_

I sighed. "Even as he stood over me, ready to beat me to death, I still fought and kicked and screamed as loud as I could. I don't even know how I'm alive. I feel like I should've died. He shot and stabbed me that day, but I refused to give up and die, no matter the pain, no matter the cost. The police came, and for the split second that he was distracted, I managed to stick a knife in his throat and knock him off of me. But somehow, he survived even that for a few more seconds, because he almost finished me off if it weren't for the police shooting him dozens of times to finally drop him. It was like he wasn't even human."

Xerxes never replied, so we just stood there in each other's embrace. No birds or animals were heard, only the distant thundering and heavy rain were present. This was something that I could easily get used to. I snuggled into it even more. This, however, was put to a stop when my watch started to beep all of a sudden, telling me that it was time to get up for school. I reluctantly got out of his arms and shut the alarm off. I didn't bother resetting it.

Damn, I really didn't think about that, did I? I'm gonna have to drop out. That actually blows on some kind of level, because even though I honestly couldn't give less of a shit about the people there and even some of the teachers, I still wanted to leave this town with a highschool diploma. I guess I'll just grab my stuff and leave.

Come to think of it, I have quite a few things I need to do. I need to get us some money, a location we can go to after this, I need to go cut loose ends with the boss… too much stuff, not enough time. Speaking of which-

" _Alex? Hello? Are you there?"_ Xerxes said, shaking me out of my trance.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm just… lost in my thoughts, y'know?" He gave me a mental affirmative. I recollected my thoughts and said, "Uhm, how much time do we have before we need to be gone?" I heard him sigh.

" _One of my kind came in earlier while you were asleep. He claims we have until sundown tomorrow."_

"I thought we had longer. It was because of what we did back at Jackson's, wasn't it?"

" _Yeah… I am afraid so,"_ He said.

"Well, that heavily cuts us down on time," I said. "Sundown tomorrow ain't until eight-ish, so we have a little while." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Hey, so I need to go for a little bit and get some things settled. You wanna crash at my house while I'm gone? Nobody'll be there all day except you and me when I come back, plus, it should keep you safer than you are here." I glanced towards the front door and saw that the stopper for it was missing, the door itself was leaning awkwardly, and there was a large dent in the thing that somehow didn't split the door in two.

" _Are you afraid that the security of my small hive is not adequate enough?"_ He teased.

"Call it a hunch," I said as I made my way out the door, meeting the cold rain for the millionth time today. I heard rapid footsteps, and turned to see him run out the front door and slide to a stop in the mud. I began to walk through the trees and along the path towards home, Xerxes footfalls right behind me.

* * *

I limped through the woods, grabbing onto dead logs and trees in an attempt to keep myself on my feet. I could barely see with how dark it was, and the tears in my eyes didn't help. My right hand brushed against a tree, and I noticed that I could barely feel it. _Frank must've damaged the nerves in my arm when he shot it,_ I thought. I continued to move, refusing to stop and die. I barely made it five feet before my foot tripped on something and sent me to the ground.

I screamed in agony as I barely caught myself with my left hand, my right hand clutching onto my stomach and around the handle of the kitchen knife that just went a little bit deeper into my guts. I screamed so inhumanly loud that it deafened the thundering rain. The pain that I was already feeling, coupled with this new agony and Tony's death made me so sick to the stomach that I didn't realize what was happening until my screaming was muffled by my violent retching. I couldn't even tell how long I was on my hands and knees, puking and crying in the mud and rain. All I knew was that I wanted the pain to be gone and for some way for this hell to end. I couldn't stop thinking whether or not death was better than this, but I refused to give up, not when the finish line was so close.

The rain was getting harder, and I was getting weaker. I shakily got up, my mouth opening and closing, wanting to scream in pain but unable to. My legs hurt and shook violently, my stomach ached and burned, I was freezing cold in the pouring rain, and I was covered in mud and blood that was not entirely my own. I started walking, every step a new agony that aggravated the knife in my gut.

"Just keep moving. Just keep moving. Don't stop to look back, just keep moving," I grunted repeatedly. I continued to move through the dark woods, shutting my brain off and only moving, repeating the mantra over and over again. I couldn't even tell how long I was walking for, I just knew that I had to keep walking until I found some resonance of civilization. A stick snapped behind me and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, but I refused to stop and turn around. I noticed a familiar building in the distance, and I felt a surge of renewed hope and adrenaline. I limped as fast as I could toward the back door.

 _I'm going to make it!_ I thought…

 **My thanks goes to Incurser, who Beta-Read this for me.**


	4. Chapter 4: Infection

**For the love of God, I do not own a single thing but my own characters and plot. Everything else is everything else.**

Chapter 4: Infection

As we neared the back of the house, I heard the sound of two people arguing, one male and one female, and in an instant I knew what was happening.

"Shit, I need to go handle this. Stay here," I said. I started to run to the door, but was stopped when my left arm was grabbed. I immediately made attempts to get out of his iron grip, but he wouldn't budge. It wasn't painful, just really uncomfortable for me with the amount of times I've been grabbed all of a sudden. "This isn't funny. Let me go."

" _What is happening in there?"_ Xerxes said.

"Nothing I can't handle. Now lemme go, I need to get in there before something bad actually happens." He didn't say anything and didn't let go, only staring at me like he was studying me. "I've dealt with shit like this a million 'n one times, but I need to get in there before it escalates. I'll signal you when it's clear, but you have got to let me go."

He hesitated, but loosened his grip on my arm. "Thank you. Don't worry about me, I've done this kind of thing before." I started sprinting towards the door, hoping that I wasn't too late.

" _I believe you,"_ He said.

 _Damn straight you do,_ I thought, not making any attempt to keep that to myself. As he mentally chuckled at that, I figured he was okay with this.

I unlocked the door and entered, closing the door the quietly behind me.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Cassandra yelled. I saw her swinging a bat in an attempt at keeping someone away. His hair was messy, his movements were twitchy, and his clothes looked disgusting. He was on something. Well, more like he's _been_ on something.

"I-I just - I just need - I gotta have some more m-money so - so I can get some more ice 'cause I'm going fuckin' mental here!" He said.

"You ain't getting anymore goddamn money you fucking prick! Now get the fuck out of here or you're gonna get fucked up!"

"W-What do ya i-intend on doin'?" He mocked, continuing to get closer and closer to Cassandra. I got myself ready for a fight, and even though my hand was hurt pretty bad, I could still deliver a pretty good haymaker.

"You need to leave, right fucking now," I said.

He stopped where he was and turned around to face me. His face was wrinkled up, and the few teeth I could see were a disgusting shade of yellow. But right as he was opening his mouth to say something, Cassandra came up behind him with the baseball bat and swung, clocking him in the side of the head and knocking him out before he fell to the ground. A sizeable black lump was already forming on his head. I put my wrapped hand back in my pocket.

"Asshole," She said.

"Jesus Christ, you didn't kill him, did you?" I yelled as I went up to check on him.

She scoffed as she went to the kitchen. "He's fine, he's still breathing." I knelt down beside him and saw that he was indeed breathing. I looked up just in time to see her coming back with a bottle of scotch she was trying to open.

"The hell are you doing? You can barely drive sober," I said as I walked up to her and snatched the bottle away. She gave me this look that was a combination confusion and anger.

"Driving? What? Give me the damn bottle, Alex!" She demanded.

"He's here because of you. You take him home. You're lucky I did it last time," I said. I set the bottle down on a nearby table. "Grab his legs."

* * *

It was still pouring down rain. Cassandra didn't argue with me, knowing that I wouldn't let up until he was gone. I promised her the bottle would be where I set it when she came back later, though I doubt she would come back immediately. Chances are, she'd head straight to work and wouldn't come back until tomorrow morning-ish, what with it being a Monday. Work wasn't that long, but she liked to unwind a lot with either booze or drugs. Once upon a time, I tried many a time to get her to stop with at least the drugs, but it was impossible. She never harmed me, which still beat Frank by a landslide, but that didn't mean it wasn't a disruption in normal life. Like what happened five minutes ago. I gave up trying to convince her on that months ago.

I opened the back door to her car while fumbling with his upper half, until I managed to drag him in far enough for Cassandra to just fold his legs in. I got out of the car awkwardly, neither of us saying anything to each other as she drove away. I watched her drive down the lane, then waited another minute or so for good measure.

"It's clear, c'mon out!" I yelled. I looked around, expecting to see some black form run out into the open. Instead, I was greeted with a loud tap noise above and behind me. Turning around, I saw the black form with gray lines tapping his foot on the roof, water dripping down his body and onto the porch. I got towards the side of the porch where he jumped down almost inaudibly. He definitely had to teach me how to do that.

" _You were right. You had it handled,"_ Xerxes said as we went inside.

"...Thank you," I said slowly. It's been a long time since I heard any compliment directed at me. He didn't say anything, but I think he understood how that small thing meant to me. I went to my room, Xerxes following behind, and proceeded to collapse onto my bed, not caring that I was soaking wet. I nearly got under the covers with how cold I felt.

"Holy crap, haven't been this ready to sleep in a while." I nearly gave in to the sleep, but I had things to do, so I forced my eyes open and sat up. Xerxes, on the other hand, was busy looking around the room. Aside from the bed, there was a dresser with a small T.V. I managed to save up for recently, a VHS player beside it, a closet, and a large bookshelf packed to the brim with VHS tapes, notebooks, large textbooks, and a few smaller books here and there. There was also the black backpack beside the door, containing some but not all of my folders and notebooks for my classes.

The notebooks on the shelf were filled with my notes of instructions and guides on human biology and health, things that I found useful when I was forced to stop the bleeding myself. It also contained information and notes on tactics to stem blood flow, prevent poisoning, or at least death by poisoning, how to set and treat broken and dislocated limbs… everything I needed to survive my personal hell years ago. I don't, or didn't at least, need them anymore, but why get rid of them? It's useful information.

The textbooks I had stolen from the school. They were certainly high school textbooks though, so they were mostly just introductions to stuff. I hardly looked at them now, but they were good time killers back then, and I did learn a decent amount of stuff from them.

 _I wonder if Xerxes would want to read them, that stuff might be interesting to him. Wait, can he read English? Can he even see like us?_

" _Yes, I can see well enough. Yes, I can read your language, perks of the link. And yes, I would appreciate it if I could read them. These are things I need to learn if I ever fail at keeping you safe,"_ Xerxes said.

"Well… don't fail," I joked, and then added, "And can you please teach me how to avoid broadcasting my thoughts out to you?"

" _Yeah,"_ He said, and sat down beside me. " _Okay, imagine a sort of… casing or shield around your mind. Think of anything at all, and while doing this, concentrate on making your mind feel surrounded and secure. That is about all there is too it. You will know when you have it."_

I concentrated on this feeling, doing what felt right and trying to imagine my mind as being impenetrable. _Can you hear me?_ I thought. Nothing. "Did you hear me?" I said. He looked at me like

" _You already did it? Most species can not do things like that on their first go. You likely have much more power than I originally thought,"_ He said.

"Most species? You make it sound like… You don't mean species from here, do you?" I said. He shook his head. I stood up. "Holy shit then, I have a million questions, but they can wait. Thanks for teaching me. I'm gonna go wash up and leave soon. I'll probably be gone for a little bit, but like I said, you can stay here if you want. Do whatever you want, and I trust you won't destroy the place."

" _You are correct to assume that."_ I grabbed some new clothes from the dresser and another jacket from the closet, this one being white with an intricate design of something on the front in black. I had no idea what it was, but it looked awesome in my opinion. It was a bit thicker, but it really didn't matter. I went to the bathroom which was right beside the door to my room, seeing Xerxes grab one of my notebooks off of the shelf as I closed the door behind me.

I set the clothes on top of the towels and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like a million bucks; my eyes had heavy gray bags under them, I was dripping wet from the rain, and my jacket was torn from the attack and burned from whatever the hell happened earlier. A weird black resin, similar to the stuff on the cabin walls, was under my jacket and encompassing the burn on my shoulder. I unzipped the jacket and saw wrapping around my chest, covering the slash mark I got earlier and going around my body a few times. It was black in color, like the resin, though it was much thinner than the stuff on my shoulder. I tried getting my fingers under it so I could take it off, but found that it wouldn't let go. I tugged harder and harder, but nothing happened. This was some good stuff, but it needed to go. What if this shit was turning me into an alien or something?

Getting on top of the toilet, I reached for the top of the cabinet above said toilet and started grabbing for a handle, until I finally caught it. Bringing it over so that I could see it, I was greeted with the sight of one of my hidden pocket knifes throughout the house. I jumped off the toilet and flicked the knife out, revealing the five inch long blade that was serrated halfway down the blade form the handle. I brought it up to and carefully pressed it against my chest, going up and down carefully with the blade. It seemed to be doing something, but not much, so I started pressing harder and using the serrated part, until it started ripping and giving me enough to room to tear it off. I started unwrapping the remaining part off of my chest, and when it finally came off, I couldn't help but be shocked at what I saw.

This was not helping me one bit at all. While the claw marks were just about a distant memory, there were black spiderwebs under my skin emanating from the now finger sized scabs and a red rash surrounding it, or maybe it was the dried blood. It felt tender, and though it hurt to touch, I wanted - needed - this out of my body now! It looked like infection, and it did not need to be under my skin. But before I had a chance to begin clawing the scabs off, Xerxes came in.

"Xerxes, what the hell is happening to me? Did you do this?" I exclaimed, nearly shouting.

" _No! Your body is rejecting the life-jelly in the bandages I created,"_ He said. " _This has happened to so few species - I should have thought of this."_ I heard him, but I was so focused on the present problem that it flew over my head. Then, I realized, my shoulder and hand. I brought the knife up to my hand in an attempt to cut the bandage off, but Xerxes grabbed my arm before I could and brought me back to reality.

" _Alex, calm down. You were injured and needed help, I did not mean for this to happen,"_ He explained. " _You're okay, let me help."_ Before I even said anything, he grabbed the knife in my hand, and I let him take it. He then grabbed my wrapped hand and used a singular claw to cut it off. As it fell to the ground, it revealed that it too had black spiderwebs under my skin. He removed the chunk of resin off of my shoulder, which showed a similar image. I felt sick at the sight of all of this. The fact that my body was changing colors like this was terrifying, and I felt like I might die if I don't get rid of this now before it gets worse.

" _We need to drain your wounds before this progresses into something worse."_ He pointed to the shower. " _Is that what you were going to wash up in?"_ I nodded. " _Let's get in there and I will help you drain the infection."_ I looked at him warily.

 _What if he did this on purpose?_ I thought, but before those thoughts could progress any further, I realized, he could've killed me a million times over by now, and yet he hasn't. And at the same time, though he caused this to happen to my body, he's willing to help rid me of the infection. _Alex! Shut the fuck up with the self monologuing and get in the goddamn shower!_ I told myself. In an instant, I was kicking off my shoes and taking my socks off. "How far will you have to cut?" I asked as I took my money and change out of my pockets, along with a pen and pencil.

" _At the most, as deep as the wound was originally,"_ He explained. Far enough, got it.

I was about to take my pants off, but I instantly shut that idea down. Not gonna happen, not with him here. He got in the shower with me following right behind him. I turned the water on to warm and proceeded to turn the dial near the showerhead so that the water came out of the sprayer instead of the showerhead itself. I turned the heat of the water up a little more, then switched the water from the faucet to the sprayer. It spurted cold water at first as I grabbed it, then came out the warm water. I sprayed my face to wake me up, then the dried blood off of my chest, shoulder, and hand. The water didn't hurt when it hit the black spiderwebs, but it made me realize how hot it was around the black. I brought my hand up to my chest, and it was scorching hot. This needed to be done, now.

"Where's the blade?" I said. I saw the blade of his tail come around his hip, giving me his answer. "F-fuck dude. You're serious?" He nodded. "Okay, hold on. Run that under the water and clean it as good as you can." I handed him the sprayer and got out of the shower. I opened the mirror, grabbed the bottle of alcohol and got back in. I took the sprayer from him and tucked it under my left armpit, opened the bottle, and poured its contents on his tail. I then poured it on my chest, which burned worse than normal when it touched the scab. I bit my tongue, however, and proceeded to pour it on my right shoulder and right hand. I put the cap back on and tossed it outside the shower, not caring where it went. "Okay, how're we doing this?"

" _We need to drain it from your chest first before this reaches your organs. You have quite a bit of time, but this is more of a danger to you."_

"Okay, just… Goddammit I hate this." It wasn't every day that I let myself get cut open, especially after that endless hell years ago. He grabbed the sprayer from me with his right and cupped my face with his left. It was warm, and I leaned into it.

" _Alex, you are my friend, and I am yours. Trust me when I say that I will protect you from this."_ I did. I think I could even trust him with my life, he could just never try this shit again, and I think he knew that. He meant it when he said that he would protect me for as long as he lived, and it was such a terrifyingly beautiful thought that it never truly struck with me until now. He was willing to fight for me, willing to kill his own kind to protect me, and all he truly needed was a friend and an escape, and I would give him both even if it killed me.

I nodded and said, "I trust you with my life, Xerxes." My eyes watered up and my heart hurt at how much I meant that. The only other person who I trusted like that was Tony, and I hope Xerxes knew how significant this was for me.

He grabbed his tail blade and brought it close to my chest. He took a breath in, and pushed the tip of the blade against my chest gently. It was so sharp that I didn't even feel it until he pushed the blade against my chest even harder. I clenched my teeth and groaned slightly as he dragged it downwards. The flesh was sensitive and hurt as he pushed harder, but I couldn't help but notice that it felt considerably hotter now, and I realized that it was the steaming hot black coming out of me. It was a confusing feeling, it felt hellishly hot and hurt, but at the same time, it felt physically relieving the more of it that came out. He pulled away the blade and I groaned as more of the toxic black burned my skin while it seeped out, the spiderwebs under my skin disappearing almost entirely as more and more came out. I hunched over so that it could fall out of the wound directly and reduce its contact with my skin while Xerxes sprayed it all off my skin as it came out. I squeezed my chest as though I was squeezing a pimple so that the remainder that would not come out on its own could, which he also sprayed. It was the same as he opened my shoulder and hand, and though I did not lie when I said that I trusted him, I could not help the small tears falling down my face as I remembered the familiar pain whom I addressed by first name so long ago.

The shoulder was the worst, due to it being infected the most and the awkwardness it was to drain it, so it had to be cut even deeper than the rest. But once it was all done and over, I was pure and clean of any of the infection. No more spiderwebs, no more toxic sludge. It was interesting to see the black slowly change into a deep red, and as I saw the sludge slowly group up and slide towards the drain, I swear I could have seen it move on its own accord. I turned off the shower, making sure that the tub was clean of the possibly alive sludge, and Xerxes stepped out of the shower.

" _Are you okay, Alex?"_ He asked as he grabbed my left hand and just beside my open shoulder in an attempt to help me out of the shower.

"I don't know," I said weakly. I took a shaky step to the mirror, seeing the short line down my chest and the blood coming out of my openings. I opened said mirror and grabbed a small thing of gauze and almost a bottle of Advil, but I decided that it would likely do nothing about this pain. I closed the mirror, and as I was about to pull the gauze so I could start wrapping up my wounds, my already shaky legs started to give out. Xerxes, being quick, was able to grab me before I fell, and I clutched onto him. He grabbed the gauze.

" _Let's go back to your room and you can sit down while I bandage you,"_ He said. I mumbled something along the lines of okay. I leaned against him, my left arm wrapped around the back of his neck, holding onto his left hand, and his right arm wrapped around my side, ending just before my chest wound. We made our way out the bathroom and into my room, Xerxes closing the door behind us. He set me down on the end of my bed where I tried my best to keep myself upright. He extended the gauze and started to wrap it around my chest multiple times until the medium sized cut was hidden away. He cut the strip away and started wrapping my shoulder, going around my body and shoulder and over the other set of gauze. Another strip cut, he finished my hand off with the remainder of the gauze, and I collapsed back on the bed.

"Thnk yu," I mumbled. "I jst neeed 'n hour o sleep, 'n' I'll be bettr." I barely remembered my soaking wet pants, and I slowly crawled out of them and under the covers, not realizing that I had ditched both my pants AND underwear. I was out the second my head hit the pillow.

* * *

To say I was ashamed was an understatement.

If Alex didn't take those bandages off sooner and we didn't see the growths, he could have died. It wasn't a typical infection per se, because it wasn't some bacteria, it was much more powerful than that. When I applied the bandage laced with life-jelly back at the cabin, the life-jelly had invaded and attacked his blood, his muscle, and if we were too late, his bones. There was something about Alex that made his blood, his system, incompatible with the life-jelly, and rather than healing him, it was turning his body against him in an attempt to kill him. He managed to fend off the infection long enough for us to discover it thankfully, but his body must've been fighting so hard that when it could finally stop, everything stopped from exhaustion. The damn kid had such a strong will to live that even his body refused to give up. It truly was something amazing, but that didn't excuse the fact that this was my fault one bit.

I couldn't have known that this would have happened, but at the same time, I should have _expected_ it to happen. We had the knowledge that some species could not handle the life-jelly, but they were so few and far between that it seemed so unlikely and irrelevant at the time.

And he was terrified of me! How could I blame him? I just poisoned him and probably made him think that I was trying to kill him! I felt sick to my stomach. He was okay now, but he was going to die at this rate if I didn't stop doing such stupid actions like this.

But I can't blame myself. If I hadn't bandaged him at the time, he would've bled to death. I just need to make sure I don't let things like this go unchecked EVER again. I inwardly sighed. He's okay, what's done is done. I won't let it happen again.

Picking up the open notebook on the bed, I continued reading his notes and diagrams on human health. His handwriting was fast, bordering on a sloppy cursive, but it wasn't unintelligible. Humans were not weak or helpless, but they were certainly not as strong as me or any other one of my kind. They didn't have a natural armor, or even natural defenses. They could perish in a multitude of ways. Before I came into the bathroom after sensing his ever increasing anxiety, I was reading his notes on arteries. There was an entire diagram of the human body, with many arrows and lines going from the body to a set of words naming each major artery. I didn't see the point of these, until I learned that if they get damaged, they can bleed immensely and render someone dead in mere minutes, especially the jugular and femoral arteries. Alex sure did his research on this stuff.

Now I was reading on their respiratory system, which appeared to be similar to ours, but their ways of getting oxygen to their lungs was limited compared to mine. They could only take air in through the mouth or nose, and if the windpipe was closed off in the neck, it would stop airflow and knock them out or even kill them if blocked long enough. My kind had no nose, our 'tongue' was able to serve as that, but we also had the dorsal tubes on our back, which made it impossible for us to simply be choked out, like I did with Alex when we first met.

Heh, I don't know about his kind, but for me, that was one hell of an odd introduction. We've hardly known each other for half a day, and we've gone from being terrified by each others presence to, well, this. Me cutting him open to solve my earlier fuckup. A truly strange friendship. But he trusted me with his life, and I didn't let him down, thankfully. Not yet anyways.

I shook myself out of those thoughts and continued reading. I couldn't help but notice that the pages weren't in the best of condition with slight rips and tears along the edges, and I realized that Alex probably had these for quite a long time. He probably needed them for the life he lived back then. I held back a growl. I'd be damned if something like that happened to him again. _Focus on the reading, Xerxes,_ I told myself.

I finished the notebook off in little time, having gained the knowledge of tourniquets and how to treat a variety of wounds. They were fragile, but at least they had the intelligence to figure out ways to decrease the severity of various wounds. I put it back on the shelf and looked at the VHS tapes, seeing titles like _The Evil Dead_ , _Poltergeist_ , _Blade Runner_ , _The Goonies_ , _The Terminator_ , and _E.T._ I was about to grab one, but I turned around when I heard Alex start to shift and move. He wasn't awake, not yet, just merely rolling onto his left side and closer to the side of the bed against the wall. He shook slightly, and I remembered from the pair of soaking pants and multiple drops of water on the carpet that he was still soaking wet from the shower, nor was he wearing any of his temperature regulators.

Speaking of which, I had to admit, I liked the way he looked without them. Hell, I liked him period. Ever since the cabin where he cried on my shoulder and told me his story, I just haven't been able to shake this feeling of respect or admiration for him, something. He was a fighter, like me, and I loved that about him. I wouldn't force anything on him, my goal was to protect him for my actions, but if the opportunity arose, I think I'd at least say something. Can't really hold back anything now since we may die tomorrow.

But I let my mind go back to more present things, like Alex freezing. At the very least, we were friends, hive mates, hopefully he would be okay with what I was about to do. I crawled under his covers and pressed my body against his in an attempt to raise his temperature. He was shorter than me by at least a head, and his body was indeed wet and, thought not warm, he wasn't cold either. The infection was searing hot to the touch, due to it taking advantage of his body heat and other resources, so while his body was recuperating, it was likely that he would be unable to retain his body heat very well. Though it was unlikely, it was possible that this effect could be permanent. I wrapped my arm around his side, placing my palm on his chest gently, and stayed like that for quite some time, adjusting when need be.

It was through him talking in his sleep that I learned the extent of horrors that Frank forced on Alex. Cutting, burning, even poison. The acrid smell of his fear was potent, and when he started to shake from terror rather than low body temperature, I made my way into his mind and replaced those memories with the few good ones I could find, wiping any traces of the bad ones that popped up. One that stuck out was from earlier, and it was when I said that I was his friend and that he was mine. It truly warmed my heart, and I realized through a light check on his memories (because even I wasn't stupid enough to breach any and all privacy he had) that he had very few people who ever even paid him any mind, and when they did, it was rarely good, except Tony and, as it appeared, me. A related memory revealed a speculation of his where he figured that I needed a friend and an escape. I never really thought of it like that, but he was right in a way. I needed an escape from the hive, which I was getting and would hopefully secure soon, and having him as a friend felt good, even though he wasn't of the same species. I cared for him enough to keep him alive and okay, and he cared enough about me to be willing to help me escape from my hell. We were friends alright.

He started to awake, and I quickly escaped his mind before he even knew I was there.

* * *

I felt like shit.

For once in quite some time, I had a dream that didn't involve fear, so that was amazing. At the same time, I was starving to death and, judging from how cold my face was, it felt like my room was only forty degrees (Fahrenheit). Everything else was neither cold nor warm, making me feel like a reptile in need of warmth. I could tell Xerxes was behind me and under the covers with me, and normally I may have gotten out immediately or at least said something, especially since I can tell that I'm stark naked, but I honestly could live with embarrassment rather than freezing like this. That infection didn't seem so hot now.

What did get me out of the bed was the fact that Xerxes being up against me and spooning me was starting to make me hard. My heart started beating fast as I realized how much he was turning me on right now, and that we were both so close to each other right now. I shook those thoughts away - I needed to start going anyways, plus I needed to think. I sat up, getting a cold arctic wind in my face.

I shivered while I spoke. "I gotta go. You being up against me like that was uh… sort of turning me on. I need to go get some things anyways, so this works." I hopped over his legs and stood up, hiding my parts from sight. I spotted my soaking wet pants on the floor and grabbed them, being forced to expose myself for a split second until I used the clothing itself to shield me.

" _Well, I certainly like what I see,"_ He purred, and my already flushed cheeks got even hotter though not enough to warm me up. I looked at Xerxes awkwardly, and realized he wasn't joking. I said nothing as I slowly stepped out of the room, closing the door behind me.

I'm gay, I won't deny that. I like guys, I'm gay. I'm not a fag or queer, I'm gay, and I'll be damned if you think I am those because lemme tell you, there's a difference. That's not the point. The point is, I was surprised pretty good when he said that, and it felt pretty goddamn strange that I was getting turned on by him and he was hitting on me back there. I wasn't about to lie and say I didn't enjoy that, but that didn't excuse the fact that we literally just met several hours ago, not to mention that he was also a part of another species. It was strange, and I honestly didn't know how to feel about it.

I also really needed to relieve myself now, but didn't want to risk it with him being here.

I entered the bathroom and tossed the wet clothing onto a pile of dirty clothes and towels. The clothes I had brought in here earlier were still here, and I quickly put my underwear on. I looked in the mirror, and saw the bandages wrapped around me in various locations. They certainly still ached, but they were already starting to feel better. I always was a fast healer. I put the rest of my clothes on, as well as my socks, shoes, and jacket. I was still freezing, but it helped.

I went to the kitchen, grabbing a box of leftover pizza from the fridge and setting it down on the bar. There were still five pieces, and by the time I was done, there weren't even any crusts. I washed it down with a Coke, but I was still starving. This endless hunger was aggravating, but that didn't stop me from grabbing an almost full loaf of bread and eating the slices. I was about halfway through it when Xerxes came out.

" _Are you okay? I didn't mean to make you leave - I thought you would like what I said,"_ He explained. I ate another piece of bread and talked over the link.

" _Were you hitting on me back there?"_ I asked. He gave me a startled looked, and I quickly reworded what I said. " _I mean, what did you mean by what you said?"_ I grabbed another piece of bread, I was practically inhaling them. I held a piece out to him, which he took, his tongue shooting out and taking a bite. I couldn't help but jump slightly when he did that, though I managed to just barely conceal it.

" _You said I turned you on, I was merely reciprocating the feeling. Did I do it wrong?"_ I shook my head.

" _No - wait, reciprocating? Are you saying that_ I _turn_ you _on?"_ This conversation was a mess. Thank God no-one else was here.

" _I am saying that I like you, Alex, a lot. I just don't want to hold back any thoughts like this if we don't make it, is all."_ I set the down the now empty wrapper, my hunger only barely touched. I ignored it for now, though, returning to actual speaking.

"Why do you like me? What did I do to get you to start thinking like this?" I asked. He pulled a stool out and sat down, which queued me to go around the bar and sit beside him.

" _Back at the cabin, you talked about your past, told me about Tony and Frank and all the shit you went through,"_ He started. I blinked at the swear, I think that was the first time he ever said one. " _You fought through hell and survived because you were strong, because you never broke. That is why. I say this because I don't want to regret anything if we perish tomorrow."_ He paused. " _I never told you my story. Before I met you, I lived at my hive, the place where my Queen and brothers and sisters are. They were a cruel bunch, I am sure you can see, but they wanted me to be like that as well. I don't know what made me the way I am, but I refused to be like them and kill and maim only for purposes of entertainment. They loved your kind because of how similar you are to us in terms of sentience."_

"We call ourselves humans," I interrupted.

" _Humans. Anyways, you humans would show pain, sadness, grief, everything. To them, it was pure ecstacy, but to me and just a few others, it was disgusting. The few that have tried doing what I have are gone, dead. I have gotten the farthest of them all to getting away from the hive. Whenever they were not eating or hurting a human, they would be hurting each other, sometimes even killing each other if it got out of hand. I was a larger target there due to me being the way I am and because of the amount of times I stuck my neck out for your kind. I pitied the ones stuck along our walls, either begging for death or release, and since I could not give them one, I had to give them the other. My brothers and sisters never liked that, but no-one hated me for it above all else than our Queen. She would send them all to bring me near death when she was not doing it herself. But they tore apart their little ones! It was gruesome and horrible - and the way they screamed! - all for no purpose other than entertainment and pleasure! It was terrible, and when I woke up from the pain they caused me and a small human hive they captured, I left. I could never go back, not after that. Afterwards, I found you, and here we are._

" _I don't want to go back, because if I do, they will not kill me, they will just toy with me and make me suffer until I break or die. I don't want either, and I don't want that to happen to you, which is why we need to leave as soon as possible. I am so sick of death, but I don't want anything to happen to either of us, so I will kill if I have to, but I-"_ He stopped mid-sentence and looked me weird. He then grabbed me by both of my shoulders, being careful with the bandaged one. " _Alex, I need you to promise me that if I am unable to protect you against my kind, you will run and never look back. I don't care if I am still alive or not, if they take me, save yourself - don't risk coming back or trying to help, please, Alex, promise me!"_ He was terrified, a deep, primal terror that never surfaced unless it was truly a horrible thing. I knew, we were on a first name basis, me and the terror.

"Xerxes, dial it back a bit! Nothing is going to happen! You aren't going back, and we aren't going to die. We're going to leave this town and go somewhere, anywhere! But goddammit, I refuse to let them take you. I've walked through hell before, if I can keep you from it, I will."

" _Please, Alex, just promise me."_

"No," I said, and that was it. Before he had a chance to say anything else, the phone on the wall rang, making Xerxes jump and knock down his chair with a loud _crash!_

"Calm down, we're fine. Just the phone," I said. I went over and answered it. "Yello?"

A deep voice came in through the line. "Alex, you and Jackson were supposed to call when you had the car. Where is it?"

"At Jackson's shop, but listen to me. Something happened, Jackson's dead."

"What?"

"Yeah, I got the car, went over there, and when he didn't let me in, I went in myself. There was a shit ton of blood everywhere, and when I went into his office, there was this… thing, I dunno what it was, but it's dead now. It killed Jackson and was fucking eating him. I probably sound crazy as shit right now, but go over there yourself! The car, the bodies, everything should still be there."

I heard other voices in the background, and I assumed that he was relaying what I said to the boss. After a moment, he finally talked. "If we find out this is a joke, well, you know what we'll do."

"Come to my house, kill me and anyone who knew about this, yeah yeah, I know. You'd think that after a while of this you'd start trusting me or something. But go there and see it yourself. I'm not going back, dock my pay, fire me, I really couldn't give any less of a shit. That whole scene was fucked." I heard a sigh on the other side.

"We'll send some people over there later today. Go and rest, Alex, if what you said is somehow true, then you're fine, the boss is willing to give you the all clear. We'll call if anything changes." He sounded as though he was about to hang up, before quickly coming back and saying, "Oh, and your package came in. We dropped it behind the trash in the alley behind the library."

"Thanks. And please, stop calling at thi-" He hung up. "Number… Asswipe." I put the phone back and rubbed the bridge of my nose. I looked at Xerxes. "I won't let them take you, and to enforce that mindset, I need to know where that gun I had when I met you is."

" _Back at the cabin. What were you going to do with it at the time anyways?"_ He asked.

"I was arming up to leave town, just not this soon. Not by a longshot. Can you go get it?" He nodded. "Great. Okay, I should've left like, half an hour ago. Eat whatever, do whatever, I don't care," I said as I went back to my room to grab my backpack. I came back and went towards the front door, before turning around to Xerxes. "And I'll think about the whole 'I like you and you like me' thing. Just… please stay safe."

" _Yeah… you too,"_ He reluctantly said, and I was back out and in the rain.

 **Remember to check out my beta-reader and editor, Incurser. He also writes stories, so go check him out!**


	5. Chapter 5: Fight

Chapter 5: Fight

Just a quick grab from the locker, that's it. I can do that without raising suspicion, right? I better, or it's my ass.

I ran down the sidewalk, my footfalls splashing in the occasional puddle. This rain was never going to end, was it? I was shivering - it might as well have been snow. When I walked, it usually took about half an hour to get to the school, but the running got it down to ten, my watch reading _8:06_. School didn't start until 8:30, so I was good on time.

As I got closer, I saw the place bustling with activity; Jocks extorting money from the weak, dealers meeting the stoners in the parking lot, and bribed teachers slipping cheat sheets to the rich. It truly was amazing what you could notice when you paid attention.

Going past them all, I walked through the front doors and was greeted by a hallway full of students. I waded past them all, realizing that after today, I would likely never see any of them again. The thought made me smile - They were all pricks anyway. After a few turns through the large hallways, I finally reached my locker. I put the combo in and opened it. Inside, there were folders and notebooks for each of my six classes, along with textbooks for Calculus, World History, Geography, and Chemistry. Not one to throw away my education (or not entirely for that matter), I took my pack off and set it down beside the locker and started piling everything into it. Once it was devoid of any form of knowledge, I saw a line of photos at the bottom of the locker where the textbooks once were. I picked it up, and a closer inspection revealed it to be a set of connected photos of Tony and I at the photo booth in the mall. It physically hurt to look at, but I just closed my eyes, took in a deep breath, and put it in my pocket where I hoped it would be fine.

As I gave the empty locker one final look, I was grabbed by the back of my neck. Whoever my assailant was, they smashed my head hard against the locker, making me grunt in pain. They spun me around, and I was greeted by a familiar face as they shoved my back against the locker.

"Oh, hey Ethan. Carson," I said coolly, a small grin on my face. Ethan, the one pinning me against the locker, was just your average sized kid who had just enough muscle in him to get into fights and _maybe_ not lose. Now that Frank is gone and no-one has a reason to fear or pity me, everyone did whatever to me. Some people were decent human beings and didn't really talk to me, some few respected me for finally getting rid of that terrible man, some saw me as weak for not getting rid of him earlier, and a good portion hated me for getting Tony killed. Ethan and his cronie, Carson, were those people. Speaking of which, Carson was the muscle of the two, though most of that muscle was fat. Not the brightest bulb in the bunch, but he could fight. This I knew, because this wasn't my first run in with these guys.

A crowd started to form around us, begging for a fight to happen. Fights between me and different people weren't uncommon, not anymore. Everyone wanted to fight 'the guy who killed his dad' and see if he truly was the badass he was made out to be. I never called myself a badass, but that didn't mean I sucked at fighting.

"Ah, our most favorite fag in the school. Tell me, why should I not kick your ass right now?" Ethan said. Carson was behind him, waiting for a moment to jump in. However, I kept myself calm and assessed the situation. I tried thinking up a way to talk myself out of this, but gave up on the idea in about two seconds when I thought _Fuck it, he called me a fag_ and headbutted Ethan as hard as I could, sending him stumbling backwards, his hand clutching his nose. My head hurt from that, but because I aimed for the bridge of his nose, he hurt much more than I did. Carson grabbed Ethan by the shoulders, making sure he didn't fall down.

"Cause you'll be too fucked up to do anything," I said.

 _What happened to 'Don't raise suspicion?'_ My common sense said.

 _It left when I came,_ My adrenaline replied. When it wasn't a fight where I was likely to die, I actually quite enjoyed them. And because there were almost always witnesses like right now, I was usually off the hook due to me not starting them, though… I kinda did start this one.. _And besides, what are they gonna do? Send you home for a bloody nose and a busted eye? You weren't staying here to begin with, what does it even matter?_ I had to say, I was right.

With a barely noticeable nod from Ethan, Carson charged straight at me. I side-stepped at the last second to the left, Carson missing me entirely before crashing into my open locker. I slammed the door on his head as hard as I could and focused on Ethan, who was coming at me with a right hook. I caught his fist with my left forearm and jabbed him in the mouth with my right, the hole in my hand lighting up in pain.

As Ethan stumbled back slightly, a pair of arms came up under my armpits and went up, locking me in place. Carson was behind me, and Ethan was coming back up to me. I tried elbowing Carson, but Ethan was already hitting me before I could do anything. He punched me right in my left eye before he getting me in the gut, making me want to puke at the disruption he caused my stomach. Before he could punch me again, I kicked him hard enough between the legs to lift him off the ground, then again with my knee in his face as he doubled over. Carson swung me around, slamming me back in the lockers, my head colliding with it hard. My brain shook and I felt dizzy for a second, before kicking my leg backwards and into the side of his knee, bringing him down. I swung my right elbow around and hit him square in the side of the head, knocking him down and probably out. I felt a burst of adrenaline surge through me.

I turned around and saw Ethan, shakily getting up and still grabbing his balls in pain. Blood was coming out his nose, and his mouth was beginning to change shades. He actually looked frightened now that his bodyguard was out.

"C'mon, don't chicken out, Ethan. You've got you're adoring crowd to please AND _you're_ the one who wanted to start shit!" I said. I never did stuff like this, trying to instigate people like Ethan even further (to be fair, I did progress it from trash talking to fighting, but I'm in way too deep to be thinking about that now), but dammit, this was probably the last time I'd ever have to beat his punk ass. "It was two against one anyway and I still took your friend down! Come finish the job your bodyguard couldn't!" He seemed to be weighing his options, not doing anything for a few seconds, until he finally made his decision.

He came at me quick, a right hook aimed for my head. I ducked under it and jumped back from the haymaker he had for me, my back against the locker again. As I went backwards, I planted my foot on a locker and pushed forward, swinging hard and hitting him between his cheek and his nose. I continued forward as his legs came up and out from under him, his body crashing to the ground behind me. I turned around and saw that he was still awake, though he was done. He wasn't getting up or making any attempt against me, and just like that, the fight was over. My hand hurt, my stomach ached, and my eye was already getting tight from swelling, but it wasn't nothing compared to thing 1 and thing 2 over here.

The crowd was deafeningly loud, people coming over to celebrate my victory. It was a truly amazing feeling, the victory after the fight. I don't think I've ever been this willing for a fight before, and I have to say, the thrill and adrenaline was certainly worth it, and the praise I was getting was the cherry on the top. The heat from the fight and dozens of people surrounding me was enough to get me to stop shivering too, which was the true cherry on top.

Ethan had gotten up now and was helping Carson up, who looked dizzy and uncoordinated. I waded through the cheers away from Ethan and back to my pack, zipping it up and closing the locker. And then all of a sudden, the cheers and everything stopped. It was unnerving, and a quick look around revealed why.

"Everyone, go to your classes now! You three, we need to go have a discussion," Principal Boisen boomed. Everyone grumbled at this, but said nothing and did as they were told. Ethan and Carson glared at me, and I took about two steps forward before a terrible idea came to mind. I was already feeling ballsy enough to be fighting after just getting an alien infection drained though, I think I'd be fine at this point.

In a split second, those two steps forward turned into multiple running steps back. Boisen was shouting at me, but I didn't pay attention to it as I turned around, grabbed my pack, and started running back towards the entrance, dodging and weaving past people as I did. The people who cheered earlier were cheering again. I swung the pack around and on my back awkwardly as I ran, my coat getting uncomfortably pulled up from the bouncing of the pack. I turned towards the hallway that went to the entrance and was greeted by the sight of the gym teacher - who's name I didn't care enough to remember - with a walkie talkie in his hand and a pissed off look directed at me. He also shouted something at me, which I _also_ didn't pay attention to. I quickly ducked into the nearby boy's locker room to my right.

Luckily, there were very few people due to everyone still having ten or fifteen minutes until class started. I jumped over some benches and pulled my jacket down some more, hearing the gym teacher shouting from further behind. I was through the locker room in less than fifteen seconds, charging through a door that led to the gym.

It was large with there hardly being anything. The bleachers were out, and I saw a window at the top of them - my escape. I sprinted up the small stairs and to the window, Boisen and gym teacher already in the gym. They saw me immediately, me being the only other one here, and started running up the stairs as well. By then, however, I had already unlatched the window and pushed it open, the cold air and sound of the rain echoing into the gym. I swung my pack off and tossed it out the window, as there was no way it would've fit with it on me. Just as the two finally made it to the top and were about to grab me, I was already falling out the window, my feet crashing into the pavement and bringing me to my hands and knees. I rolled over on my back from the momentum, seeing the two yelling at me.

"Don't bother coming back!" They shouted, along with other threats. I got up and grabbed my pack.

"You always were a terrible principal, Boishit!" I spat out. Okay, I needed to cut it back a bit, I was enjoying this a little too much. Boisen's face lit up red with anger, and I started to run away before he could even think about jumping out after me.

I slowed down three blocks later, my legs aching and my lungs heaving. I could never, and I mean NEVER go back there. Huh… I was a high-school drop-out now, so close to graduation too. I'm resourceful, though, I'll make it. I don't have a choice now, especially with Xerxes with me.

How the hell was that going to work anyways? Were we just going to live a life in hiding now? I stopped myself from continuing the thought process - we needed to think of the now before the future.

The rain was unrelenting and the cold was beginning to come back, so I put my hood up and my hands in my jacket pockets, only to find a crumpled up piece of paper that certainly wasn't there before. I got under a nearby tree and smoothed it out. Reading it, I saw that it was an invitation to a party happening later at ten. Someone must have seen the fight earlier and slipped this to me afterwards. It had the address, and at the very bottom it read _Bring food, alcohol, or anything else for a good time!_ I carefully folded it and put it in my pocket with the picture. I started jogging towards the library, which was just down the road now.

As I got there, I turned down the alley and started walking. It was a dump. Trash littered the area everywhere, and the concrete below my feet was wet with either rain or what was likely dried blood. I saw a large dumpster down the way and made my way to it. I looked around it and saw nothing, so I got up against the side of it and started pushing it. As I rolled it, I saw a blue plastic bag peeking out from under the dumpster and grabbed it. I got up and started unwrapping it, leaning against the library wall. Inside the wet bag was a box wrapped in brown paper, which I tore off, leaving a small blue shoe box. I took the lid off, finding a wad of cash with a rubber band around it, as well as four full-moon clips, filled with six rounds each. I pocketed the money and put the lid back on, trying to suppress a small smile. _Got my ammo AND my paycheck! We're ready to go!_ Well, sort of. I still needed to talk to the boss about quitting. I was going to have to play it just right, or else he'd have my ass on a silver platter.

With the box in my hand and the smile I gave up suppressing on my face, I speed-walked home. I felt good, progress was being made and we were closer to escape. I started thinking about the invitation I got. Should I even go? I've never been to a party, and I figured it could be one of those things just to experience before we go. And then there was Xerxes. He already hated being alone, would he be okay leaving me alone that long? Would _he_ be okay? Was he okay _now_? I started running again.

He'd be fine, he was cunning and strong. The thought didn't slow me down one bit though. What if he wasn't okay? What if he was dead? Or they stole him back? The thought made me sick to my stomach, being a more effective gut-punch than the actual gut-punch. He would live, I'd chase him down to his hive and save him if I had to, but he would live. I went through hell for years and suffered more than anyone could ever top, if I could keep him from that, I would. I cared for him, that much was obvious. The pressing question here - was I willing to be romantic with him?

…I don't know. It wasn't even about the difference between species, I was willing to get over that. He was kind to me and hadn't treated me like crap once, but it was because I wasn't sure if I could survive getting that close to someone again and losing them _again_. It'd kill me, it already damn near did. It hurt to think about, and as I walked down the long driveway and got closer to home, I became even more unsure. We've only known each other for less than a day, less than _half_ of a day! And yet, I liked him. I liked him, but I was scared of loving him. He's been the first person in a long while that I've been able to repeatedly talk to - I didn't want to ruin that or, even worse, get my hopes up and have them smashed with a sledgehammer. But maybe he was what I needed to restore life the way it should be. Where I didn't have to go through the dangers of possibly being hunted in these woods, or by Frank a long time ago. I could leave behind Tony and move on. I could leave behind everything and start anew. Leave behind the horror. He is the reason to get me out of this mess, and though it was certainly much more dangerous than I'd have wanted, it's done. I'm in it. And I'm gonna survive this - we both are.

I made my decision.

It wasn't until I was knocked out of my thoughts by a loud screech in the woods that I realized how close I was to home, seeing it only a couple dozen yards away. The sound made me jump, and I started sprinting now, going closer to the house and to the noise.

* * *

I wish he had just promised. He'll be fine, he can handle most things, like the mechanics place earlier, or the lady with the bat. But dammit Alex! Your survival is what matters here. I deserve whatever happens, not you. Just one thing.

I was running through the woods, weaving between trees and over dead logs. The cabin was close, but I figured that I'd challenge myself, maybe get my mind straight a little. I got there fast alright, probably no more than two minutes.

I went through the still open doorway and into the main room with the couch. The place was in pretty bad shape still. Plus the, y'know, burn mark and blood near the wall and throw-up somewhere around a corner. I got on the couch and jumped up, grabbing onto the ceiling. I grabbed a large chunk of the ceiling, which was entirely resin at this point, and pulled it off. There was a small hole behind the resin, a hole in the roof, but not all the way through to the top. There was a foamy layer between the two ceiling roofs that I pushed aside and pulled out the gun. I dropped back down and landed on the couch with no sound except for the old springs within.

I sat down and looked at the gun. Inside the chamber was a single bullet. I almost decided to take it out, but stopped myself. It wasn't useful without it, that much I knew. But when I first saw Alex, I thought he was going to kill himself. That's what it looked like. Why would someone be out here? The middle of nowhere in the rain in the middle of the night with a gun? I trust he won't, now that I've talked to him… I hope. But it was a thought that lingered in my head. I was still going to keep an eye on him though, just to be safe.

I started running again, this time making it back in what felt like even less time. I went in through the back door, shutting it behind me and setting the gun on the bar. Alex wasn't back, and he probably wouldn't be for a little bit.

Back to being alone…

I didn't even know where Alex left this time, so I couldn't tail him, and I certainly couldn't go searching for him in this daylight. Though I'd probably get caught again because I decided to say something to him. To be fair, he was going to be out of range really quick and I did not want to be left behind like that, even if he had no clue I was there.

I started going about the house, looking for something to do. I opened the fridge in the kitchen, eyeing the meat in the plastic packages. He said I could eat whatever… I grabbed a package with red meat in it and tore it open, my jaws shooting out a getting a chunk of it. It was cold, but it was easily better than the deer meat or raccoon meat. The package was gone in moments, and I grabbed another one. It too was gone in less than a minute. I almost grabbed another, but stopped myself. I wouldn't eat all of his food, what would he eat?. I set the empty meat containers beside the gun and started exploring.

I had seen Alex's room and bathroom, as well as the living room and kitchen which were beside each other and between the front and back door. What I haven't seen is where the other hallway leads following the path of Alex's hallway. I went down it and saw two doors, one at the end and one on the right wall at the end. I went in the first one and shut it behind me.

It was a bedroom, probably double the width of Alex's room. There was a bed in the center of the room against a wall with two small tables at the sides of it. It had red covers and black pillows. Above the bed suspended by hooks coming out from the wall was a shotgun. Not much was really in here though. I went back to the hallway and went into the other room, which was a bathroom. Again, it looked a lot like the bathroom near Alex's room. On the sink was multiple makeup utensils, toothbrushes, and mouthwash. I grabbed it and, figuring no-one would ever know, opened it and took a swig. It was minty, painfully so, and I spit it out into the sink. That was terrible - why would anyone want to use that? I left and went back to Alex's room.

I searched it, making an effort to put everything back exactly where it was. He had plenty of temperature regulators, though most were a little worse for wear. I started moving things, trying to see if there was anything I was missing. It wasn't until I pushed the dresser to the side carefully, making sure not to knock it over on accident, that I actually did find something. Behind it was a small hole, not very large or deep. It looked like the area I hid the gun, full of that foamy stuff, except that it was missing an area where it was dug out, not pushed aside. I knelt down to it and reached in, grabbing something solid and pulling it out. It was a thick green roll of paper, wrapped in a tight rubber band. I set it down and reached for more, finding three more like it. I had an idea what it was, having gained some knowledge from Alex. But I have no use for this - what am I going to do, go buy something? I put the rolls back and pushed the dresser back.

A quick look under the bed revealed a few sets of small boxes, and when I dragged them out, they held many papers. The papers showed a plethora of assignments from different subjects all marked with an A, 100%, or something really close. I, on the other hand, had no idea what they were. I sat there and read some of them, beginning to get an idea as to what they were. They were validations of something, skill or logic perhaps, and Alex was incredibly good at them. I pulled out all of them, all but one containing more of these papers. The one that I left was far against the wall, and it contained many colorful booklets with characters dressed in full body clothing with masks and the like swinging between buildings by white strands or flying in a red and yellow suit.

I sat there for a while, reading an issue of what I found out to be Spiderman when I suddenly felt uneasy. I heard nothing, but I did sense something, and it was neither Alex nor Dante. Was it a scout? She must be sending everyone to search for us. Even if they did find us, she would wait until she had her army assembled, until she would unleash a horde of unstoppable power. It gave us time, but we could not afford to be here when it happened.

Nevertheless, I opened the door quietly and walked out to the kitchen and living room area. I could still sense something. I carefully opened the back door and peaked my head out a little, seeing nothing. I walked outside, closing the door but not all the way. I was on edge, this was not right.

I was about to go back in when I was tackled from above and to the ground. I failed to suppress a screech in surprise. As we collided to the ground, I used the momentum to roll him off and get on my feet, seeing that the black form was one of me. He got up right after me and charged into me, putting me against the wall of the home. He pulled away his hand and thrusted it into my guts, but I barely caught the clawed appendage and forced it away before it could do anything. His tail came next, which I was also able to grab by the blade before it went into my neck, but this time, he ripped it out of my hand and shot it at me again, missing my stomach and hitting my upper upper thigh. My hand and leg were both bleeding now, my leg throbbing even more as he ripped out the blade. I roared in agony and hit him hard in the mouth, making him stumble backwards. He turned slightly when this happened, and I took the opportunity by grabbing him by his tail. My own tail proceeded to shoot out and cut hard and fast downwards, detaching it from his body and shooting blood around on the ground. He roared in pain. I was about to tackle him and pin him to the ground, but before I could do anything, _he_ was tackling _me_ to the ground. He could have tried slicing my throat to make me choke on my blood, or shoot out his tongue and puncture my skull, but instead, he hit me quick and hard in the head, disorienting me. I tried to do something, slashing at his throat with my claw, but it was a weak attempt that went nowhere deep enough to be fatal. I felt dizzy, and as he raised his fist again, I realized how fatal of an error I have made. I felt pure terror, an impact, and then black.

I hoped that Alex would keep away and that I would be dead when I awoke.

* * *

There was a roar, louder than the screech and much longer. I ran up the porch and through the front door, slamming it behind me.

"Xerxes? What's going on? Are you okay?" I shouted. I dumped the backpack off beside the door and saw the gun beside some empty meat packages and an empty wrapper on the counter. I ran over and set the box down, grabbing the gun and emptying the single bullet onto the counter. I opened the box and grabbed one of the moon clips, putting it in the cylinder and snapping it shut. I looked out the window above the sink, seeing a black form splayed out in the grass, rain hitting him without remorse and yellow coming out of his thigh. It looked like he had been dragged. He had the faint gray lines. "Oh, crap!" I said, fear beginning to well up inside. I pulled the hammer back on the gun and carefully opened the back door, my finger ready on the trigger. I should've kept it near the trigger, not on it, but I was not fucking around.

Once the door was open and I saw outside, I peeked around the doorway, looking down the length of the house for the attacker. I saw nothing and went back inside, closing the door but not all the way, my hand still on the handle. I was breathing erratically, trying to force myself to calm down, which only slightly worked. I remembered what he wanted me to promise earlier, and my brain only lingered on the idea for a split second. I wasn't leaving. He was going to be okay. I would make sure of it.

I grabbed the grip of the gun by both hands and ripped open the door, looking around everywhere as I did. I kept the gun aimed where I was looking, seeing nothing but the rain and Xerxes. I ran over to him, nearly tripping on a disembodied tail that I missed, and got beside him, putting my head on his chest and praying that he was still alive. I heard his heartbeat, thankfully, going extremely fast, faster than mine from all the running. He was alive, just out cold. I tried shaking him awake, making sure to pay attention to where the blood was, which was melting and burning the wet grass. Nothing happened. I was about to go around and start dragging him inside by his arms, but as I did, I saw something past him and in the woods. It was barely visible with the overcast, blocked sun, and trees blocking the light, but I could make out a shape. It was similar to Xerxes in shape, and my blood ran cold. I knew what happened now.

It must have seen me too, because the second I took a step back to the door, he jumped out towards me and nearly collided into me. I managed to get out the way at the last second, and started running towards the door. As I ran, I turned around mid-run and took aim with one hand, my hand hardly staying still. I pulled the trigger, the bullet hitting his chest. It hardly did anything to him, only making him stutter in his steps for a second before coming even faster.

I opened the door and slammed it behind me, backing away and pulling the hammer back again. Something told me the next five shots wouldn't do anything to him, so I slowly backed away from the door, trying to think of other methods of attack. The Mossberg 500 was in Cassandra's room, that'd probably put a decent sized hole in him. There was no way in hell I was getting close enough for stabbing range, hand-to-hand would be suicide. What about fire..?

I was searching through drawers in a second, keeping an eye on the door. I heard a loud thump, then another. The back door was stronger than it was a few years ago, as the door and hinges got replaced after it collapsed. However, right as I found a lighter, the door flew open, small wood chips spraying out from where the lock forced its way out of the wall. His form came around the doorway, and I realized that I was trapped. He was missing a tail, and I realized that Xerxes must have ripped his off and that was what I nearly tripped on earlier. I aimed again and fired twice, hitting his leg and stomach. Blood sprayed out slightly and dripped onto the floor, burning it and filling the room with an acrid smell. He screeched in agony and ran up to me.

Thinking quickly, I slid over the bar, knocking down the box, wrapper, and empty packages onto the ground. I grabbed onto the other side of the bar and pulled myself across even faster, my feet just barely avoiding his grip and landing on my feet awkwardly, pushing up against the half-wall separating the living room from the hallway and kitchen. I pushed off of it and ran down the hallway, nearly going into my room before making a last second turn into the bathroom, seeing him almost on me. I slammed the door and heard him slide and crash into my room's door.

The door was definitely not going to hold, so I quickly opened the medicine grabbed a small can. As I closed it, I aimed the gun at the door and fired, hearing a loud yelp as the bullet went through the wood and out on the other end. The banging stopped, and I checked how many more bullets I had, which was two. I put the gun in my waistband carefully, adjusting it so it didn't fall through my pants. I took the cap off of the can. Then, with lighter and can in hand, I ripped open the door and walked out into the hallway. A sizzling blood trail lead down the hall and back towards the kitchen, which I followed. I was greeted by the sight of the alien jumping out and nearly grabbing me if it wasn't for me shoving myself as hard as I could from him, losing my balance and falling down after I stumbled backwards a few feet. The alien looked pleased, like he had just won. He was wrong though, because once I lit the long lighter, he stopped where he was, that pleased grin being wiped off his face. What really lit the match was when I lit him like a match, spraying the contents of the bottle over the lit flame and making a homemade flamethrower. The fire engulfed him, and I was shown the effectiveness of flame when the alien forgot all about me and sprinted out the back door into the rain. However, once he was outside, the rain was not enough to smother the fire, and he collapsed to the ground mere seconds after going outside. This I all saw when I got up immediately and watched from the back door.

A feeling of victory came over me, more so than the fight at the school. I was also greeted by a feeling of weariness and exhaustion belated from adrenaline and a fighting drive. I've barely slept at all today and yet, here I am, stealing cars, treating infections, and killing aliens. What a great day.

The acid had stopped melting the floor, but only because it had melted itself away, or so I assumed. The few areas where it had destroyed the floor was where I avoided, hoping to not burn a hole in my shoe in case it wasn't gone. As the flames began to die down on the alien in the rain, the other alien was busy laying in the grass and getting pelted by the rain. I sighed and went back outside, hoping there weren't any more of them. I came back to Xerxes, who was still knocked out, and grabbed him by his armpits, dragging him back inside. He was heavy, and I had to take a break from dragging once he was in the middle of the kitchen. I closed the door when we were inside, but it just creaked open slightly with the busted lock. I sat down on a barstool.

Suddenly, Xerxes' point of view made sense. There was no point in holding back anything now because we may die tomorrow. Hell, we'll be lucky if we don't die today! After that fight, the thought that death is just a corner away seems very real now. And am I willing to die alone?

My hands were shaking from stress and adrenaline. I set down the lighter and deodorant can, as well as the gun, taking the moon clip out and tipping out the empty casings onto the bar. I picked the trash off the floor and threw it away, as well as the clips and the spare bullet, which I set on the bar. I put a full clip in and put the spare bullet into the previous clip, giving me two and half spare clips remaining. I closed the shoebox and set it under my bed before going back and dragging Xerxes through the house. His leg had stopped bleeding, but sure looked like it could easily start again with the size of the gash. I sighed and started dragging him back towards my room and beside me bed. I slipped my hands underneath him and put all of my effort into lifting him up - which made everything feel as though it would explode - and set him down on my bed. He was soaking wet and I knew the blankets had to have been disgusting by now, but I truly couldn't have cared if I tried. I saw my old school assignments laid out on the floor, as well as my comics that I had mostly forgotten about. The thought of them made a small smile come to mind, and I promised myself to read them and clean them up later.

I grabbed the spray can from the bar and put it back in the bathroom, grabbing a roll of gauze from behind the mirror. When I closed it, I saw myself along with a large welt on my forehead, a purple left eye, and a cut and bloody right eyebrow. The blood left a trail going all the way to my lower cheek, bordering on my chin. I turned the faucet on and washed it off, as well as the cut itself. I thought about getting a bandaid or something for it, but the bleeding stopped and it didn't need stitches, so I just left it be. I grabbed a small towel on my way out.

I thought about finding and grabbing the bottle of alcohol somewhere in the bathroom, but I remembered the infection caused by Xerxes' special blend earlier and decided that I didn't want to risk something like that happening to him. I went back to my room and folded the small towel before placing it over his gash, which was then wrapped up by the gauze several times. By the time I was done, it looked like a decent bandage job, and the cloth was just barely withstanding his blood, a slight sizzling noise coming from it. But after a while, the noise seemed to disappear and the bandage never came off, so I assumed it was fine.

Taking my shoes off, I went over to the end of the bed and got over the footpost, getting beside him. The cold was coming again, and I felt like passing out before it had its grip on me. I pulled the covers over Xerxes and I, and once my head hit the pillow, I was asleep in seconds.

* * *

Except I wasn't dead. I would know if I were dead, wouldn't I? That didn't stop me from pushing myself up and looking around, realizing that I was back in Alex's room. Was that all a dream? Was I alive? I saw the papers and booklets on the floor, and I figured that maybe I was alive. But how?

My answer was Alex rolling onto his stomach and wrapping his arm around my chest. He didn't… he couldn't have…

I carefully lifted his arm up and sat up out of bed, careful not to step on any of the papers and such. I saw a wrapping around my thigh, and when I lightly touched the top of it, my nerves lit up. Alex did this, didn't he? I stood up, which was a mistake, because it lit up even more and I had to lean on the wall to avoid falling down. As carefully as I could, I opened the door quietly and closed it behind me.

As I limped down the hallway, I could've sworn that I saw slight scorch marks around the walls, floor, and ceiling, along with small indents that in the floor that couldn't have been there earlier.. I went past them and in the kitchen, seeing that the gun had moved, the packages of meat were gone, and a small box was on the table. I didn't bother opening it, because I was more concerned by the sight of the slightly ajar back door. I went over to it and tried closing it, but found that nothing was stopping it from getting pushed open. I opened it fully and looked outside, shocked by what I saw.

Outside was my attacker, dead and burned alive by the look of it. I could hardly believe it, I was alive. And Alex had saved me. Which meant… he saved me. He came back and risked himself for me, doing exactly what I begged him not to do. I was torn between pure joy and discontent at this. I was amazed he managed to kill him, I thought he would've died if he tried anything.

Something else - I was out here when I got knocked out. Did Alex take me back to his room? And he bandaged me? I don't think I have a right to be unhappy at this anymore. He risked it, but he saved me and himself. He saved _me_. I felt dizzy, so I leaned against the home and slid down to the grass where I wrapped my arms arounds my knees.

I almost died. Or maybe I didn't and that was even worse. But Alex saved me. He came and fought for me. It made me queasy - I was _this_ close to death and suffering for an eternity. I was _this_ close! It terrified me, much more than the fight did earlier. I didn't want that, and it almost happened. I wasn't mad at Alex, I was thankful. If I had eyes like the humans did, I'd be crying. Instead, I shuddered and shook, being unable to _not_ comprehend what had almost happened. I understood it all, and I couldn't help but focus on how close I was to the end. And Alex saved my life, bandaged me up… I felt sick.

I must have been there for a while, because eventually I heard Alex calling out my name. I was so deep within my mind that I didn't even register this until he was outside with me, lightly shaking my shoulder.

"Xerxes, are you okay?" He said softly. I realized he was there now. I got up from where I sat and grabbed Alex, wrapping my arms around him. His smell calmed me down somewhat.

" _Alex, I told you to run,"_ I started. He put his arms around me.

"I know, I know. But when I saw what was happening, I couldn't let you just be taken like that. You don't deserve that, and I don't care how pissed-"

" _Pissed? Alex, that was nearly it! It was almost over here,"_ I gestured to the dead body and tail. " _I'm happy you_ didn't _run. I thought I could be fearless, that I could accept death if it was right in front of me. I was terrified. I thought that if I didn't die right then and there, I would want to die,"_ I said. I was still shaking, and I felt Alex tighten his grip on me.

"Calm down. You're okay now," He said. "I have your back. Nothing will get to you before it gets through me, I promise you that."

" _I don't want you to protect me. I'm supposed to protect_ you _because I dragged you in this. I-"_

"Fuck the debt! Fuck this whole 'you owe me your life' thing! I'll say it a million more times if I have to, but goddammit! You're not some martyr that has to be willing to die for me! You're my friend, Xerxes. We'll probably only have each other for now, so don't think you're alone. So long as that's true, we'll protect each other. I'll fight for you if you fight for me," He said. He took a breath. "We're in this together. You and I are equal - just two poor souls trying to seek safety. You don't have to be fearless or tough - I won't hold that against you. You don't have to fight alone anymore - I'll be there by your side… You won't ever have to be alone again - nothing will keep us apart."

I was in shock. I didn't know what to say. I shook the entire time, but when he said that last thing, everything stopped. I pulled away from him, seeing his face. I saw the new marks on him, but told myself to not change the subject. If this was what I thought, it could wait.

" _Do you mean..?"_ I trailed off. He nodded.

"The way I look at it, the odds are against us. There's a decent chance we won't survive this and we'll probably die tomorrow. Why hold anything back? If we die, don't we deserve at least that much happiness?"

" _Yeah,"_ I breathed, and wrapped my arms around him again. " _I love you."_

He hesitated for a moment before replying, "I love you too." We stood there for a while, soaked in rain and holding onto each other. He was shivering and freezing cold. This was getting worse, but it usually did before it got better. Hopefully better would be soon. "How's your leg?" He asked.

" _It hurts, but I'll be fine. How's… this?"_ I waved my hand across his face. " _What happened?"_ He sighed.

"Got in a fight earlier. They look way worse than me, trust me," He said. An idea came to mind, and I decided to test my luck.

" _Would you be okay if I… saw it?"_ I suggested. He looked at me funny.

"What? You mean like… looking in my mind?" He said. I nodded. He said nothing for a few seconds, lost in thought, before saying, "Only that. Nothing else."

" _Deal,"_ I said. I grabbed his head gently, pressing mine against his forehead and focusing. And then, it was all there. I found his memory of the fight and watched, seeing the fight itself to the escape through the window, everything passing by in no less than a four seconds. I backed my head away.

"Woah, that was weird."

" _That was amazing! You were outnumbered AND you kicked their asses!"_ I said. I nearly gave a screech in celebration, but told myself not to, in fear that more of the unwanted would come and test their luck with us. It was hard not to though - he was amazing! He was already this tough person, but seeing it in action like that? I was in awe. If he was one of my kind, he could have been a great warrior, easily.

"You should've seen the fight with him," He said, referring to the body. I looked at him, waiting, until he finally said, "Go ahead."

Again, I pressed my head up against his and watched the memory. It was weird… seeing myself, passed out on the grass like that. But I knew that it was merely the past, I'm safe now. Once more, the whole thing couldn't have lasted more than four or five seconds. I backed away, returning to reality, and looked at him. I held myself back from celebrating his victory - that could wait until we got away from here.

I also had the urge to mate, which I forced myself to suppress. Not now, not after nearly dying not too long ago, though maybe that made want to do it even more. Either way, I made an attempt to not let it show. That can wait until later, if Alex is willing. When we're safe. When we're free of all this.

" _You are an amazing fighter. Good idea with the fire - we can take just about anything but that."_

"Would've been nice to know earlier," He said. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "What should we do with him? Do you guys bury your dead, or..?" Good question.

" _I don't know… I don't think we typically do anything with them, just let nature take them over."_

"Well, nature's gonna be a while - should we drag him into the woods? Somebody'll see him here."

" _Yeah. I'll get him, you should go back in and get warm and dry. I'll be fine,"_ I said. I went to the body, but Alex was already there at his feet. He already had the tail slung over his shoulder, which I had forgotten about.

"I'm fine, I can help." I was at his upper half, ready to go.

" _Alex, really, you do-"_

"I carried you, didn't I?" And I shut up. I grabbed under his arms while Alex had his legs, and we went back into the woods until we could no longer see the house. Luckily, he was no longer bleeding, so Alex didn't get burned. We carefully set him and his tail down on the ground, placing nearby fallen branches and limbs on him until he was covered almost entirely. We walked back to the home and went inside, closing the door as best as we could.

He went straight for his room, and I followed, closing the door behind me. He took his shoes off before looking at himself, then at me. "Lemme get a towel." He left and came back, holding a rough looking piece of green cloth. He unfolded it and looked at me. "Hold out your arms like this," He said, standing in a T position. I did so without a word, and he came at me with the towel, rubbing it around my arms, around my head, up and down my chest and stomach, around and in between my dorsal tubes, jumping down to my legs and being careful of the bandage, before going over the top of my feet. It felt amazing, the towel going over my body, grabbing any remnant of water. Soon, I was declared dry, or at least, slightly damp.

He took his jacket and shirt off, revealing the plethora of scars on his body, and tossed it beside the door before going over himself with the towel. But before he could make it far, I grabbed the towel from his hands and went over him myself. I made sure to be gentle, careful not to press too hard on his bandages as I repeated the process on him. He was shivering, trying to suppress his shaking. In a quick motion, I lifted the towel over his head and behind him, pulling him towards me. I grabbed him and wrapped my arms around him tightly, tossing the towel behind him and into the pile beside the door. He didn't resist my action, wrapping his arms around me and shivering even more. I let my dorsal tubes go into me as I fell back on the bed, landing with a thump. I pulled the covers over us, Alex still on top and practically melting into me.

"Fuck this cold," He said, his teeth chattering between each word. "This is because of that black stuff that came outta me earlier, isn't it?"

" _Yeah… Sorry about that."_

"Stop apologizing, man. You couldn't have known it was going to be poisonous to me. And if you keep on staying this warm and doing this with me, then you're fine," He said. So forgiving. Alex, where have you been my life? I planted a kiss on the top of his head, which made him melt even more.

" _Love you,"_ I said, letting my tail come up and go over his back and legs.

"I love you too," He said, no hesitation in his voice. We laid like that for a little bit, his head on my chest as his breathing began to slow. "Your heart is so fast. Sounds like the beat of a song," He mumbled.

" _Thanks..?"_ I said, unsure how to respond.

"You're welcome," He replied, smiling into my torso. He fell asleep shortly after, with myself falling into a deep, peaceful sleep not long after, wrapped in each others' embrace.

 **Thanks once again go to Incurser for beta-reading this chapter and editing it. Go check him out, he writes stuff too so give him some attention!**


	6. Chapter 6: Party Crasher

Chapter 6: Party Crasher

The room was pitch black, aside from the singular bulb hanging from the ceiling. The floor was cold cement, as were the walls and ceiling. A thick wooden door was on a wall, indented with scratches and dents from what one would think would be a wild animal, but were of my work instead - though I suppose to some aspect, I was some wild animal with the way I looked and was living.

Well… 'living', if you can even call it that.

I don't remember how old I was when I went through that stage of hell, and I don't even remember when I escaped it and into the next. All I remember was being down there for days, alone, with no escape and no hope. Though, that did little to dampen my will to live.

Time was impossible to tell at some points, blurring my perception of minutes and hours and making them feel like days on end. I remember at one point thinking that I was in there for a year straight, only to find out later that I was down there for three weeks.

No one came down there. No one brought food, or water. There was no toilet, no bed. How the hell did I live?

I didn't; I survived.

When I was first tossed down those stairs and locked in that damn basement in that cabin in the woods, I remember screaming until I had a headache and my voice wasn't even a whimper anymore. After that, I just sat down in a corner and cried, sleeping every now and then to kill time, though everything hurt whenever I awoke on that hard floor.. I was catatonic like that for a while, unable to do anything and praying to starve in my sleep rather than while I was awake. I couldn't have been in this state for more than two days, because it was then that I started to really feel what it felt like to slowly starve and dehydrate to death.

My eyes hurt, my lips were cracked, and saliva was nothing more but a distant memory it seemed. Death felt so close that I could feel him breathing down my neck, but he never struck. I was forced to make a toilet out of one of the corners in the room, leaving me with this stench that lasted days before my sense of smell began to numb. My butt was itchy, and I resorted to using my underwear and socks as toilet paper, though it only lasted so long…

The lack of anyone or anything happening was slowly driving me insane, the only noise being a gentle hum of the ceiling bulb. I started questioning what I saw and heard, thinking that I was hearing someone coming to my rescue every time I heard the slightest noise.

By the third day, I was terribly weakened by thirst and hunger. Having no other option, I drank the only liquid that existed in there - my own urine. I puked the first time I did, only adding to my hunger and pain. I considered eating that too, but just couldn't bring myself to do it. The second time was easier, though only slightly. I got it down my throat and cried afterwards, hating myself for letting this come to this point, where I was forced to drink my own piss to live. But it did its job, though only barely, and the problem of dehydration was solved for then.

By day five, the next task was food. I walked slowly around the room, severely weakened by hunger and scouring every nook and cranny I could find to kill time and maybe find just anything, which I did. There was a crack in the wall, with a fairly large hole in the base of it. I tried reaching in to see if anything was there, but I could only fit my hand inside it and no further. I gave up that day and collapsed back in my corner, trying to sleep the pain away.

Some amount of time later, I was greeted by a feeling, a sensation, some form of stimulus. I awoke immediately, seeing that a cockroach had found itself upon the back of my arm. I plucked the thing off and set it down, when I thought about naming it something and declaring it as my friend as some way to keep me entertained. But then, another idea came to mind, one in which I would lose my only friend at the time in benefit to my survival. I ate it, chewing the disgusting thing and swallowing everything. I didn't throw up that time, only dry heaving.

For days on end this vicious process continued, until something finally happened. A rat poked its head out of the hole in the crack in the wall one day, and it wasn't until it was at my side that I registered what it was. I was in shock at the large thing, seeing something moving other that the occasional spider or cockroach. But the amazement was only temporary, because in seconds, I had the thing by its head and twisted, breaking its neck and killing it. I could feel my humanity leaving me that day, when I ripped into the creature's fur and bone with my teeth, eating everything with my dirty hands and bloody chin, drinking that disgusting blood and cracking those bones between my teeth. But I was the most full I had been in days, maybe even weeks, and I merely continued. I was sicker than a dog after a while though, and terribly so. I had diarrhea and was forcing myself to hold down the bile that wanted to escape my stomach. I felt like shit then, but powered through it, somehow.

Sometime in the middle or ending of the second week, a storm happened. I was able to hear it, and I thought I was truly going insane at that point until I heard a gentle _dripping_ noise that made me realize it was real. I looked towards the noise, and saw that a steady stream of water was dripping fairly fast out of a crack in the ceiling. I crawled to it as fast as I could, getting beneath it and letting every drop land in my mouth. It was dirty - I could taste whatever rock or concrete or sediment it went through to get to me, but I didn't care whatsoever. I sat there and drank until I couldn't no more. I stripped naked and placed my shirt and pants below the water, giving me some method of storage. I rationed that water like no-one's business, and it nearly lasted until my freedom.

A couple of days before I was given escape, I was thinking of ending it. I didn't want to starve to death, I already damn near did and it was hell. I thought about breaking the bulb on the ceiling and using the glass to cut myself, but it was just barely too high, taunting me from that height. That was the most painless I could get with it, and so I started to downgrade my expectations to just being less painful than starvation.

I tried bashing my head in the wall, suffocating myself by tying my then dry pants around my neck tightly, but it was either too much pain or I backed out of it at the last second out of fear. I couldn't kill myself, I didn't want to die, though I did at the same time. I felt weak for not ending it right then and there. I cried what little I could after that.

After that, my memories were impossible to keep straight, until the door finally opened. I heard the noise, I saw the light peering through the open doorway, the feeling of my body moving, but I didn't react or anything. It was only when I moved my arm that I heard a voice.

"Holy shit, you're still alive?" The voice said. I felt my body crashing to the ground, the ground being much more forgiving than that of the hard, cold concrete flooring. My insanity was left behind in that prison as I became aware of my surroundings once more. Aware of who was above me, staring at me like _I_ was the monster.

"You can't kill me, you cocksucking motherfucker," I said, my voice nearly nonexistent and full of cracks. I started laughing, uncontrollably so as I saw a different color than gray, as I got fresh air, as I felt something beneath me other than that hard ground.

The next time I awoke, I was in a hospital, being treated for extreme malnourishment, dehydration, a concussion, mild food poisoning, among other unpleasant things. I was hanging on by a thread, and when they released me a few days later, it was that same person who found me that took me home - Frank. He said nothing to me on the ride home, and it took me forever to get the courage to speak.

"Why did you put me through that? Why have you always put me through hell?" I begged, my voice getting better but still extremely weak. He looked at me for a moment, somewhere in his thoughts I figured, before he finally spoke.

"It will all make sense one day, I promise." He paused. "I didn't think you'd be alive after all of that, but you are. I'm proud of you, Alex. I, uh… I know the hell I put you through on the daily kid, I'm not that thick. But, uh… don't worry about me for a while. You earned that much from what you went through. Just… enjoy this time, because it won't last forever. It just can't, I'm afraid."

Baffled by his reasoning and willingness to finally give some answers, I said, "Why?"

He said nothing, bit the inside of his cheek it looked like, before saying, "It'll make sense one day… just not today."

* * *

I never felt this rested. Sleep was something of a rarity for me, so heavy eyes and sleepless nights were a normal. After a while, it becomes so normal to the point where you can function during a normal day on somewhere around three to five hours of sleep - it's exhausting as hell, but it becomes easy after a while. The thing here was that I felt good, great even. Normally, I wake up in cold sweats with visions of Frank or Tony in the corners of my eyes. But this time, I woke up calmly, the sound of Xerxes' fast heartbeat in my eardrum. I gently rose up and down from his breathing, and I felt his hands and tail wrapped around me, keeping me with him.

My dreams typically consisted of horrific nightmares and memories - ones where Frank cut me, deep enough to see muscle, where he starved me one summer to the point where I was forced to eat cockroaches and rats for survival, where he beat the shit out of me until my nose stopped bleeding due to swelling. This is my own personalized Hell, and it is torturous…

However, this was different. My dreams weren't of horrors like having my chest carved X's in random place - no, not at all. They were wonderful. It was Xerxes and me, side by side in some rocky mountain-like area. We were on a cliff side, our feet over the edge and watching a sunset, one filled with colors from purple and pink and a deep orange. It wasn't Earth, it was impossibly beautiful to have been. I remember feeling loved, wanted, surrounded by warmth. I was in bliss. Xerxes was protective and guarding of me, but so was I of him. No danger was there, but we refused to let any potential threat harm either of us.

It was such an amazing dream, and I already missed it as I woke up. I couldn't remember ever having that good of a dream instead of a nightmare, and it nearly made me cry at the thought. Instead, I took in a deep breath and slid down the side of Xerxes, laying beside him now. He shuffled at my motion so that he was facing me, and a hand being brought up to my face revealed that he was awake too. He brought it up to my face and rested it upon my left cheek, which he softly rubbed. I leaned into the warm appendage, and he brought his head close to mine, his warm breath hitting my face. He stayed like that for a moment, before leaning forward and pressing his lips against mine. I moaned into it as his hands went along my body, feeling me gently. I ran my hands along his sides, feeling his rough yet smooth skin. We were both in bliss, until Xerxes pulled away, leaving me panting for breath.

" _Finally, you're awake,"_ He said. Before I said anything, he gave me one last kiss, bringing his hand behind my head and holding back nothing, before pulling away yet again. I brought myself up against him so that my head was in the crook of his neck and our bodies were pressed up against one another.

"Hey, don't stop," I complained. I continued to run my hands up and down his body, slowly and methodically feeling out every part, hoping that I could have the perfect mental image of him purely by touch. He grabbed my arms gently.

" _Slow down, Alex, or I'm gonna lose control and we'll be doing a lot more than kissing."_ He let go of my arms and I brought them to myself. The idea of him becoming unhinged and us 'doing it' made my heart beat fast, but if he didn't want that, I wasn't going to force it.

"You started it." I sat up, planting a kiss on his forehead. I brought my watch up to my eyes and turned it on, seeing that the time was _9:29_ at night. I thought it seemed dark in here. "We slept for that long?" I said. I looked at him, saying, "Did you have something to do with that?"

" _Perhaps…"_ He said, sitting up beside me. " _Perhaps not. Perhaps we slept soundly, enjoying the view of my planet…"_ Called it. I wrapped my arms around him, my head sinking back into his neck. He smelled like musk, or hormones, or something. It was good. He returned the hug.

"It was stunning," I said. "Would you go back - _could_ you go back?"

" _No, but we don't want to either. Or at least, I don't. It was a desolate world, filled with nothing but danger, death, and sights like that. Plus, I have you - why would I want to go there?"_

"How _did_ you get here?" I asked. He got out of the hug and sighed.

" _I didn't even exist yet, but previous members of my hive know the story well. These creatures came to our planet many times, killing us for sport and pleasure. But years ago, they managed to take a Queen, the Queen of the hive I came from. We know that they take us only to hunt us elsewhere, and the Queen was no different. As we neared your planet, she managed to overtake her captors, crashing the ship they were in. She escaped, going into the forest and into hiding, until she found what is our current hive. Those creatures chased her for days and months on end, and she evaded every one of them. They haven't been seen for quite a while since, but ever since she saw her original hive slaughtered on our planet, she has grown cold and spiteful, despising anything with a heartbeat and believing that anything but her own hive should deserve no mercy."_

"Jesus… that's terrible. Your Queen's still a cunt, but she went through Hell." I said as hopped over him and grabbed my clothes, an arctic winter greeting me. He chuckled at the comment.

" _Yeah, she didn't deserve any of that. But you're right - she's a cunt."_ He got up as well, stepping on a paper before picking it up. " _By the way, what are these?"_ He asked.

"All of my assignments and tests and crap that I saved over the years, thought I could make use of them one day, maybe." I slipped on my shirt and looked at the floor, seeing the mess of comics and other papers about. "These colorful little things are comic books I managed to… acquire from some people. They aren't like the notebooks - these tell stories of superheroes with strange powers fighting crime and stuff."

I grabbed a random few and tossed them on the bed, putting away all of the old assignments in their respective boxes. As I did, I saw my jacket lying on the ground, a white paper peeking out of the pocket. _Do I really want to..? We're on a time limit, and I don't want to leave Xerxes alone here, not after he got attacked. Besides, everyone there probably won't be the most welcoming to me… What if I just go there for half an hour? Then I get to see what's there and get out. And I can just park the Blazer a little ways away so that Xerxes can hide in the back! And if he feels unsafe, I'll leave the party immediately._

I put the coat on. What were we talking about again? Oh yeah. "Grab as many as you'd like, we gotta go soon."

" _We? Where are we going?"_

I took a deep breath. This was such a terrible idea, Alex. "Okay, so after that fight between me and those two guys, someone slipped me this," I said, handing him the paper. "It's an invite to a party - a gathering of people to have fun. No idea what the specifics are, since I've never been, but it'll be safe. Safe enough that I won't get killed."

" _And what's my role in this? I can't really go inside if people are there."_

"I'm one step ahead of you - follow me," I said, leaving the room and walking to the living room. A door on the wall closest to my room was there, between a sofa and a large box T.V., which we went through. I turned on a light switch, and a large navy blue and rusted to Hell truck was revealed to be in the middle of the garage. I walked to the back of it, lifting up the back window before pulling out the tailgate. Inside was the two back seats that were folded down, a large comforter laid out in the back and covering the floor. Pillows were also present, due to the amount of times I slept in the back, refusing to stay here some nights with Cassandra and the crazies she attracts.

"I don't plan on staying long at all - maybe thirty minutes at the max. So I figured that because safety here is well nigh impossible, you could hide out in the back while I go to the party. This way, you're relatively close by and if it becomes unsafe, you'll still be in range to actually call for me." He looked at the back, a small stack of comics in his right hand, before turning towards me.

" _Are we ready to leave, for good I mean?"_

"I need to call my boss and arrange a meeting between him and I, so that I can quit. We can do that on the way, though. I don't wanna risk using the phone here." He paused, looking unsure, not that I blame him.

" _Do you have to go?"_ He said. " _I won't stop you if you do, but… I dunno. This isn't a good idea to me. We need to get everything ready to leave and stay alive until then, and I fear that doing this will hinder our odds of accomplishing the second."_

"I just want to see what this is like, maybe get a small piece of normalcy for once. Believe me, I know this is stupid, but it's my final chance. I have to do this… Besides, many people'll be there - wouldn't your brothers want to avoid such a large crowd?"

" _Maybe… Okay, let's go. I hope you're right."_

"I do too," I said. "C'mon, we can get something to eat on the way. Get in, I'll be right back." He jumped in the back and closed the tailgate as I went back to the kitchen. I grabbed the phone and dialed one of the local pizza joints. After ordering a large pepperoni pizza, I hung up the phone and returned the truck. I climbed into the front and started it up, opening the garage door and backing out into the rain. I turned it around, closed the garage door, and started driving down the lane. I turned the heat on to full blast, melting into the warm air and telling Xerxes to let me know if it gets too hot. Right before we reached the end of the driveway where it intersected with the main road, I turned myself around and looked in the back, seeing Xerxes' back against the back of the passenger seat.

"Remember, just keep low like that and no-one should see you."

" _Don't worry - I'll be hidden. Come on, you promised food."_

"Then let's go," I said, and we started moving again. Now that we were more or less out of the woods, a hard _pitter-patter_ of rain hitting the truck could be heard over the engine. I turned the windshield wipers on. As we drove, I remembered wanting to talk about something - now seemed as good a time as any other.

"So… earlier today, when you taught me how to keep my thoughts private, you said that I have more power than you thought. What's that about?" I said.

" _I meant that you may have great control over your mind, even to the extent where… how do I describe this? You can do things to others' minds,"_ He said.

"The hell? D'you mean like how you're talking or..?"

" _Sort of… I don't quite know though - you would be able to do things I can not. You could… control what someone does if you concentrated hard enough, maybe even establish a link with someone like I did with you. Like I said, I don't know."_ What? This is beginning to sound like those comics he grabbed.

"No - that's impossible. There is no way in hell I could go up to someone and make them… drop something or whatever. I would've found out about it at some point in my life, wouldn't I?"

" _That's something else. When I made the link with you, your mind had such a strong barrier around it that it literally almost killed you setting it up. Maybe breaking through it has given you access to this."_

"I… I really doubt that."

" _Well, believe it or don't. Just keep it in mind and try it out when you can."_

"Sure… I'll try and remember to do that."

* * *

As we entered the town, I made it a point to stick to the more dark back roads, keeping Xerxes from sight as best I could. As we neared the pizza place, I put the truck in park in the darkest area nearby, shutting it off but leaving the key in the ignition. I told him what was happening and that I would be gone for a minute or two, and he nodded.

As I entered the building, I was assaulted by the wonderful smells, reminding me of that hunger from earlier that never entirely went away. I told the cashier my name and order, giving him fourteen dollars and sitting down on a chair as I waited impatiently. The idea of being away from Xerxes terrified me now after what happened earlier. Nothing would happen to him in a few minutes, but still.

Geez. And yet, here I am about to ditch him for half an hour, Alex, you fucking hypocrite. He'll be safe, though - why would his kind come out this far into civilization? They'd get spotted, wouldn't they? Xerxes'll be fine.

In an attempt to take my mind off of that, I remembered our conversation on the way here. There is no way - and I mean no _fucking_ way - that _any_ of what he said is true. It's impossible - as simple as that.

However, as someone came in, pulling out their wallet to pay, temptation got the better of me. _There is no way,_ I thought. I concentrated on entering his mind, doing what I could only describe as 'what feels right'. I did the simplest thing I could think of, which was to make him drop the wallet. Instantly, the second the idea turned into the action I wanted, his fingers unclasped around the leather and it fell to the ground. I jumped up immediately in shock, the chair screeching across the floor loudly.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" I shouted, the words coming out much louder than intended as I finished the sentence under my breath. Some people looked at me like I was mad, and I sure felt it. _That was a fluke. Just a coincidence._ My heart was beating fast, and I sat back down slowly, everyone returning to their food.

" _Xerxes? What the hell did I just do?"_ I asked.

" _I have no idea - I'm not there. What_ did _you do?"_ He replied.

" _...I think I made someone drop their wallet… with my mind."_ It came out like an innocent child admitting to a wrong they commited. The guy grabbed his wallet and paid, waiting for his food to come. Xerxes chuckled.

" _Told ya."_

" _No, maybe it was just perfect timing, I dunno. Just… hold on. Lemme try something,"_ I said, seeing the cashier with a box coming up to the front. He continued past and into the dining area, myself getting up to meet him halfway. As I moved, I focused on the idea of making him drop the box until it became an action. It was even faster and easier than the wallet, and the box fell with a _smack_ against the tile floor, nothing coming out. I could only mouth the words "Are you fucking kidding me?" as he picked it up, cursing something under his breath.

"Sorry 'bout that, sir. Don't know what happened there. I can take off a couple bucks or get another made if you want," He offered. I shook my head.

"No… don't worry about it." I grabbed the box. "Have a good night." And with a nod, he walked back towards the kitchen and cash register, myself getting out of there in not time at all.

" _Well? What'd you do? Did it work?"_ He said. I said nothing, rather sprinting across the wet road and back to the truck, climbing in the back and shutting the tailgate behind me. I was greeted by warm air blasting from the vents, making me realize once again how cold I had just been during all of that. I'm getting used to it, it appears. I opened the damp box and gestured to it. " _That smells amazing. It's pizza, isn't it?"_ I nodded. He reached for a slice, but before he could even pull it away, I made his hand unclasp from it, making him pull back a whole hunk of air. He looked surprised for a split-second, before grinning and saying, " _Ah, so it did work."_

"I thought you were lying - thought you were just exaggerating or something. But this… holy shit, this is real." I can't tell whether this terrifies me or excites me. I was beginning to hyperventilate.

" _Well, I wasn't sure if it was_ this _powerful, but I guess it is."_ I said nothing, lost in thought and barely registering that he had even spoke. " _Alex? Take a breath, calm down,"_ He grabbed a slice and handed it to me, " _And eat."_ I took the slice, breathed in and out few times to steady myself, before biting into it. " _Better?"_ I nodded. " _Good… You'll be okay, I promise. This is just a new little addition to your life - sort of like me, I suppose. Plus, this party you're going to can be a means of training! You can figure out your ability with everyone there!"_

I took another bite, chewing as I said, " _I won't kill anyone, will I?"_

" _No, that'll take an immense amount of energy from you to do. You'll know if you're going too far."_ He grabbed a slice and brought it up to bite into it, but when a second pair of jaws shot out and ripped off a chunk in less time than I could blink, I nearly started choking on my own food. He gave me a look, saying, " _Are you okay?"_

I shook my head, grunted, and said, "Yeah, just… scared the crap outta me."

" _You sure weren't scared when we were kissing earlier."_

"Eat your damn pizza."

* * *

The radio's clock read _10:19_ as we started to get close to the house. I knew the area, the party taking place in a nice set of suburbs on the northern edge of town, my house more on the western edge. The houses there the last time I saw them were spacious, having a small set of woods behind most of the homes and large pine trees between them.

But of course, we aren't there yet.

A few blocks away, in an apartment district, I was backing the truck deep into an alleyway with no lights whatsoever, turning it into an indent in the building beside us. The car would be invisible if someone looked down here, and it would be impossible to see inside it if someone came. I turned the radio down, the ending of _Take Me On_ going quiet as I turned off the engine and killed the battery. I opened the glove box and reached in, pulling out another pocket knife, which I jammed in my right pocket and closed the glove box. I turned around and looked at Xerxes.

"Alright, I won't be gone long - I promise. Just lay low in here until I get back. Press this," I pointed the button to lock the doors, "When I leave. It'll lock the doors so that no-one can get in, or take it." He nodded hesitantly. I could feel the anxiety radiating off of him. "Are you gonna be okay? How's your leg?" I asked.

" _It's getting better. And I'll be okay, just… please be quick,"_ He said.

"I promise, I will." I opened the car door. "If anything happens at all, call for me. We'll go back to the house just like that, alright?" He nodded. "Love you."

" _I love you, too."_ He leaned towards me and we kissed, his hand coming around the back of my head. It was over as fast as it started though, and we pulled away. I got out of the truck hesitantly and closed the door, going down the alleyway until I was at the end. I looked back at the truck, knowing in the bottom of my heart how bad of an idea this was, but dismissing my worries and turning down the sidewalk.

As I walked through the empty streets, I came across a payphone under a streetlamp that occasionally flickered. I went towards it, reaching for the phone until it decided to ring all of a sudden. I jumped back, startled by the loud noise before picking it up.

"Hello?" I said.

"Alex?" A voice said, that same one from earlier.

"Yeah… How did you find me?"

"We have our methods, but that doesn't matter. What does matter is what you told us, about Jackson's. We sent some people over there to collect the car… No-one's been back in hours," He said.

"Okay, what are you getting at?" I was rubbing my hands furiously to keep warm, looking around the empty street to make sure no-one was near.

"We need you to come in tomorrow, sometime around one o'clock. If the initial team fails to return by the time you come in tomorrow, you'll have to go with the other team to get the car and find the first team."

"What? No, dammit, I'm not goin' back the-"

"You don't get a choice in this, Alex," He interrupted, "For all we know, you set us up for a trap and got those guys killed. You're coming with the rescue team whether you like it or not tomorrow. Besides, we're low on manpower at the moment, you'd have to come in either way."

"So is this because I could be a traitor or because you're low on people?"

"One o'clock, Alex." He hung up, the dial tone greeting me.

"Dick," I muttered. I hanged the phone back up and continued walking. I did not look forward to going back to Jackson's, not one bit. When I meet up with them tomorrow, I'm gonna have to play my cards just right. If that guy thinks I betrayed them, suggesting I quit would probably just add on to that.

I sighed. _Just enjoy tonight, Alex. You know how to do that, right?_

 _You're certainly gonna find out,_ I thought back to myself.

* * *

Alex had _way_ too much trust in me.

Less than a minute after he left the alleyway, I got out of the truck, pressed the button to lock it, and closed the door. I scaled one of the buildings and went in the direction I saw him go, running across the wet rooftops and seeing his form on the ground below. I tailed him like this for a while, until he started moving towards a large box with a pole supporting it. Right as he was about to reach it, it started making a loud noise that repeated itself. I couldn't help but cringe at the loudness, but Alex picked it up and stopped the noise.

A short talk later, one that I eavesdropped for the entirety of, Alex was back on his way. I followed for as long as I could on the rooftops, until I had to jump off and scurry over to houses, which I scaled in no time.

It was when he reached a large house with multiple cars and people about that I realized that was where he was going. I sat on the roof of a house across the street, watching him go inside as I took off the bandage on my leg. It was slightly stuck from the blood, though it peeled off easily. Under the bandage was a deep cut, though nowhere near as bad as I thought it was going to be. It wasn't bleeding, so I just left the bandage on the roof.

I jumped off, sneaking my way to the rooftop one house left of the party. I took a few steps back on it before running full sprint and jumping to the roof of the party. I kept watch, looking around everywhere listening for anything, be it Alex or something else, though it was nearly impossible over how loud they were below me.

I sighed. _Now we wait._

* * *

The place was booming. People were out on the porch of the house, either drinking or smoking and talking with others. I could see people in the windows, most of them dancing to the music. Certainly not the crowd I'm used to. I slowly walked up the steps and through the open front door.

Inside was something else. It reeked of marijuana and cigarette smoke to the point where I was getting a second-hand high. People were everywhere, chatting, eating, and a condom away from having sex from the look of a few couples. It was hotter than hell too, and I quickly found myself sweating. As I unzipped my coat, I decided to wade through the crowd and see what was happening.

In the kitchen were some people playing beer-pong on a table. I went over to an empty spot along the counter and leaned against it, watching the next person shoot. People were beginning to look my way, noticing that _I_ was here. As I glanced in their direction, the people who stared at me quickly looked away, some shifting uncomfortably and moving away. I thought nothing of it, focusing my attention on the guy shooting the ping-pong ball. I did what I did back at the pizza place, getting into his mind and, this time, trying to make him throw the ball elsewhere. He made the motion, and I made him swing wide and toss it completely to the left, missing the table entirely and landing in the sink. He looked perplexed at what happened, and the few people watching him laughed. I couldn't help but grin just a little - this is kinda cool!

I wandered back into the living room, coming in just in time to steal an empty spot on the couch. The two making out to my left certainly didn't care. I glanced towards them, before looking back at my feet, another idea forming. They were too focused on each other to notice me. I focused on them as I tested the idea, as though they were my guinea pigs. They kept on kissing for about a minute more, before the guy pulled back. I looked away, but kept connection going.

"Sorry babe," He groaned, "Got a killer headache goin' on now."

"Well then," She replied, "Maybe I can help… maybe… _suck_ the pain right outta you," She said with a wink. She leaned up against him and started kissing him even more, crawling on top of him and forcing me to get up or risk being a part of their thing. She was beginning to grope him, as was he to her, and I realized how badly I regretted doing this now.

"Josh, Trish, go take one of the guest bedrooms you animals!" Someone said. I looked over and saw a guy in a black, leather jacket come over. He had just a little more than a five o'clock shadow, and his hair was brown and going midway down the sides of his face.

"They're full!" Trish whined, sounding like a pouting child.

"Then take it out to your car - I don't care. But I don't want you - or anyone else for that matter - fucking out here on the furniture! My lil' sister sits where you guys are, c'mon!"

"C'mon babe, we can take this back to my house, alright?" Josh said.

She stopped her pouting there and looked at Josh. "Better hurry up then, stud. Let's get outta here." She jumped back on him and started making out with him ferociously. He stood up, holding onto her and stumbling out the front door, nearly falling down the porch too from the sound of them. I looked back over at the guy with the facial hair, who sat down where the other two were earlier.

"Hey, I see you came. That was a helluva fight earlier, wasn't it? You kicked those guys asses, which they totally deserved." The look on his face changed suddenly. "Hey, you alright? You got a bloody nose."

 _Huh?_ I brought my fingers up to my nose and gently pressed under it, pulling away and seeing blood on them. I grabbed my sleeve and wiped it away furiously, the hot red entirely visible on the white jacket. "Yeah, I'm good. You the guy who's hosting this thing or the guy who slipped me this?" I pulled out the invitation and showed him.

"Both! That fight was something else, man. I just knew when you beat them up like that, two on one, you had to be here." He looked around slightly, reaching into his jacket as he talked. "Y'see, I dunno if you know this or not, but I'm sort of the new kid around here. Just moved in about two months ago, Alex." He pulled out something looking like a hand-rolled cigarette.

"How do you know my name?" I asked.

"Everyone always has something to say about you, but if you ask them why they're so damn interested in you, they go all quiet all of a sudden." He pulled out lighter. "You smoke?"

"No. Wait - what is it?"

"A gesture of kindness," He said. I looked at him weird, not catching on quite yet. "It's a joint. Y'know, pot?" He waved it around my face. "So?"

 _I mean, marijuana isn't nearly as bad as coke or meth, so I shouldn't turn into Ma or anything. And I should probably test if this'll affect my little brain power thing going on. Screw it - for science._

"Fuck it."

"That's the spirit!" He lit it and puffed on it. "Since this is probably your first time, here's a tip: There's no shame in coughing up a lung, just try not to cough up whatever you ate," He said, his voice strained until he breathed out a cloud of smoke. He handed it to me, which I took and slowly brought up to my lips, breathing slowly in. It tasted… different, and after a solid ten seconds of puffing, I handed it back to him. My lungs burned and tickled, and I breathed out another cloud of smoke until I started coughing midway through. Once I started, it was nearly impossible to stop until I had coughed for at least a minute. I breathed carefully, trying not to start up again.

"You okay?" He said, taking another hit.

"I don't feel nothin'," I said.

"You will, just give it time." He breathed out and took another hit, before passing it back to me. "So? What's the story? Why does everyone seem so keen on talking about you without actually talking about you?"

"Well, how much do you know?" I said, taking a puff.

"Someone named Frank was around for a while - he sounded like a real prick from what I've heard. I heard someone say that you got someone killed once, but I didn't believe him."

I closed my eyes and focused on the burning in my lungs, before breathing out and passing it back. I barely managed to suppress a cough. "God I wish you were right."

"What? There's no way. There just isn't."

"Okay, fine." I stood up. "Anyone here remember Tony Hammond?!" I shouted out.

People looked around, some raising their hands, while others yelled back "Me!" or "Yes!".

"Everyone knows what happened, right?"

Again, everyone replied yes or nodded, rather solemnly this time too.

"And it was my fault, wasn't it?"

Hardly anyone said anything that time, looking around anxiously and not saying another word. A few brave people said "Yeah", some saying it softly and others saying it like they meant it. A few said "No", but barely anyone.

"There's your answer…" I said, gesturing for him to say his name.

He breathed out some more smoke, before putting out his hand and handing back the joint with the other. "Lawrence Pierce, but you can just call me Law for all I care." I shook his hand and took the joint, the length only about a third of what it was three minutes ago. My eyes were starting to feel tight, and I was beginning to feel… tired? No, maybe more sluggish than anything, but a good sluggish. God, does my throat hurt though. Another drag taken.

"Pleasure to meet you, Law," I strained, breathing out. "Now, what do ya wanna learn? You wanna know how I got someone killed, how I killed someone, or… what?" I trailed off, failing to find any more to say.

"How you killed someone, I suppose," He said warily and slowly.

"Alright, you heard about Frank, right?" He nodded. "Okay, I'm his kid. And he's the one I killed."

"Why? What'd he do?" He asked.

 _Jesus, he is new here,_ I thought. "He's the one who offed Tony, who was then my… a great friend of mine-"

"I know _that_ bit too - it's cool, you ain't gonna get kicked out of here or anything."

"Oh," I breathed, "Hell yeah. Saves me that trouble. Anyway, after that, Frank tried getting me, too, and even before all of that, he… uh…," _Should I? Eh, I'll probably never see him or anyone else ever again after this party._ "He did frequent butcher work," I slowly pulled up my shirt and rolled up my sleeves, "And I was the pig."

His mouth dropped when saw the indents in my body, and I realized I may have taken it a wee bit too far. I dropped my shirt and unrolled my sleeves as he got a closer look.

"Jesus fucking... " He drifted off, before his face suddenly changed. He stood up and offered his hand. "Come with me, you need to party and forget all that." He pulled me up and I followed behind him, walking back to the kitchen. He pulled a key out from under his shirt and attached to a necklace, before reaching up to a cabinet and unlocking and opening it. Inside were many bottles, and it became apparent why it was locked - it was filled to the brim with bottles of alcohol. He reached in and pulled a bottle labeled _Crown Royal_. "Grab a bottle, whichever one you want, and follow me."

"What're we doing?" I said, grabbing a bottle that said _Fireball_ on it.

"I told ya, we're gonna party, not sit around doing nothin'." I said nothing as I followed behind. I opened the bottle as we walked and brought it up to my nose, smelling cinnamon and something else. I took a large swig, my throat and chest feeling warm and the taste not all that bad. I kept drinking as we got back to the living room. He walked towards a small cabinet below the stand that the T.V. was on and opened it, revealing a small stereo system. He turned it on and cranked a dial far to the right, until after a moment of it warming up, it finally started to blast heavy rock music. Everyone cheered. He turned and headed back towards me. "Jesus, man, you're drinking that like water!"

"Huh?" I looked down at the bottle, seeing the liquid only reach to about a third of what it was earlier. "I guess I am!" I shouted, the music nearly muting me. He took a drink of his, before he started headbanging to the beat of the music. People around me were dancing or headbanging too, and before I even knew what I was doing, I was headbanging along with them. This was all stupid - the stuff we were doing - and I _fucking_ love it!

Some amount of time and several songs later, the bottle was bone dry. I still didn't feel all that different from it, just warm and high. Maybe slightly different. Maybe.

It was then in my deliriously wonderful and head-banging induced dizziness that I noticed the way some girl was looking at me. She was all done up, looking like a plastic doll covered in makeup. Brown, curly hair that went down a little ways past her shoulders. She had a skimpy tank top on, showing her belly button and barely containing her small breasts. She must've saw me see her, as she started walking towards me without looking away, coming way too close way too soon. I looked away, searching and failing to find Law in the crowd. _Come on, man. I need some help here,_ I thought.

"Hey, Alex," She drew out.

I looked back at the girl, and realized that I knew her. She was Jane Kress, who I was with for barely less than a month. I was thirteen then, and though everyone knew of the horrors that Frank had committed on people in the town, everyone got to learn of what he did to his son from her. That was what caused the ripple effect that started in school and eventually went everywhere in town. Frank had always told me that if I ever revealed the horrors he enacted upon my body, everyone would see me as weak and take advantage of me. While some people did attempt to reach out to me, they quickly lost their nerve when Frank went around telling everyone to treat me like shit or they wouldn't see their parents or family or whomever again. And asides from that, he was right, in that later in life, around the time I got my first job, most people tried to use me for their gain, and the second they were done, I was worth nothing. The only piece of information the fuck was good for.

Fucking Frank. Fucking Jane.

God, she looks so different. I suppose four years does that to people. She started dancing, though it was more of a show she was trying to give me, it looked like. It did nothing to me, only serving to make me even further uncomfortable. _Ugh, stop standing there like you're being forced into this - you have hands, don't you, Alex?_ I placed them firmly on her shoulders and gently pushed back.

"Why're you doing this, Jane?" I asked.

"Doing what? Come on, let's get outta here," She said, getting close to my ear and saying it with a sultry voice. The smell of alcohol on her breath was obvious, even from my ear. She was practically grinding on me now, and at the same time, dragging me back further into the house. People looked at us, some even cheering her or, surprisingly, me on.

"Jane, no, sto-" She shushed me with what I think was an attempt to put a single finger over my mouth, but what ended up being the entirety of her palm that more-or-less slapped me.

"Just hush now, hun. You just let me do all the work," She said. She reached for a door, missed the handle on her first attempt, and pulled it open. Inside was an empty bedroom, though it certainly didn't smell like it was that way for long. She shoved me in and closed the door behind us, a click telling me she locked it. I looked around, seeing a lack of pictures and deducing it to be a guest room. I was unable to examine the area further, as she had charged towards me and was now forcing her tongue in my mouth. I recoiled from the strong taste of whiskey, maybe a little dramatically, and pulled away. She had this look on her face, though drunken, that basically said "What the fuck?"

"Jesus, Jane. I thought you were dating that jock guy."

"Fuck Brock. He's been such a prick, threatening to leave me if I don't keep my goddamn weight down. But you weren't, you were always so nice. I bet you're still that nice." She grinned. "C'mon, you an' I are gonna _do_ it," She slurred, pressing her hips against me as she mentioned doing the dirty. God, how hammered is she? I started to back up, my back connecting with a window as she talked.

"No, we're not. I'm with someone, and even if I wasn't, I'm not gonna be your revenge fuck. I don't like girls - I'm a homo." She shook her head as she came up to me, taking my jacket off and tossing it on the bed. She proceeded to plant kisses down my neck and even sucked on a part of it. She couldn't have been that strong, but she had one helluva grip on me.

"No you ain't. That was just some fake show you put up with Tony to avoid me. And who the fuck're you with, you liar? Nobody, be it man or woman would want to be with you. I'm all you got."

 _Some show? You better bite your goddamn tongue, you bitch._ I was livid, and I grabbed her shoulders again and pushed her away, maybe a little too hard by the way she stumbled. _She's drunk, the wind woulda knocked her down,_ I reassured myself.

"Fuck you, you goddamn snobby cunt! The only fake fucking thing here is the thought that I would ever even want to be with you." I walked beside her, our shoulders connecting in another rough shove, and put on my jacket. "I'm leaving. This confrontation," I waved around us, "Never fucking happened." I refused to look back until I was at the door, and when I did, I saw her sitting at the foot of the bed, on the verge of tears if she wasn't already crying. I felt nothing for her, though, and said, "Goodbye, Jane Kress." I opened and closed the door behind me, my brain beyond the point of fried.

I released a breath I was holding and looked around, seeing people pay no mind to me, though a few were making small comments to their friends while they glanced in my direction. Whatever. I'm done with today. _Why the hell did you let yourself come here? You dumb prick! You know not to let your guard down!_ I berated myself. I was back to the main living room, about to go out the front door, when I felt a hand grab me from behind.

"Where're you goin' Alex? The party's just getting started!" I turned around and saw that the hand was connected to Law.

"Had a run in with an old friend. Didn't go too well, and I'm just not caring to stick around much longer. I need to go and clear my mind. Sorry, man." He shook his head.

"Nah, don't even worry about it, dude. You were cool as fuck. Hope I can see you at the next one." Ugh, that bit just made me sad, even more so than earlier.

"Yeah…" I started walking out, until I heard a loud shout, sounding more like a callout. I looked back behind me, and heard it again.

"ALEX!" The voice boomed, managing to be even louder than the party going on. I recognized that voice.

Fucking Brock.

I turned back fully and went back inside, seeing the large form of Brock beside the much smaller form of Jane, his arm wrapped protectively around her. She was all tears, but I could see through her bullshit a mile away, catching onto that tiny curve on the side of her lips.

"Oh, fuck me," I mumbled, before shouting, "WHAT?!" Much louder than him. I wasn't backing down, not tonight. My mind drifted to the knife in my pocket, but I refused to go for it. Unless he had something more than his words and his fists, that is.

"What did you do to her?!" He yelled, his face red with rage.

"I don't fucking know. I didn't touch her, though! I only pushed her away 'cause she wouldn't stop trying to get it on with me. She gave me a fucking hickey!" I pointed to the side of my neck. "Everyone knows I swing for the other team. Why the fuck would I do anything with her, Brock?" _Hell, why would_ you _do anything with her?_ I nearly continued, but choked the words back.

However, my words did nothing but infuriate him further. His face looked like blood would shoot out if you even lightly poked it. He started saying something else, but I blocked it out as I remembered a little ability of mine that I should of used when dealing with Kress. I thought of everything I could make him do; I could give him a headache from hell, could make him jump off the balcony, make him hit Kress in some messed up way of revenge from me. God, I could make a list for hours, but I was knocked out of mind when I saw Law came between us.

"Both of you, chill. Brock, Jane, get outta here." They both looked surprised. Hell, I was too.

"What? Kick him out!" Jane pointed at me. "He's the creep that wanted to get in my-"

Law was clearly as pissed as I was. "Jesus Christ, would you shut the fuck up!" He pointed to the open doorway. "And get the fuck out of here before I call the cops and ruin this for everyone!" People groaned, and though Jane looked more than ready to continue this, she said nothing when Brock laid a hand on her shoulder. He went up close to her ear and whispered something, before the two looked around and started walking out. Neither of their eyes left mine until they were outside. Somebody in the crowd booed, and Law gave a glare in their direction. Nobody else said anything, and people quickly returned to the party. He turned and looked at me.

"You okay, dude?" He said.

"Yeah, I'm great. You didn't have to do that, you know?"

"Yeah, well, I was getting sick of Jane hitting on everyone. I don't think Brock even noticed, or maybe he did. Fuck if I know." There was an awkward pause, until he continued. "You still leaving?" I nodded. "Come on, I'll get you something for the road." He started walking back into the party, and I decided that, since he just defended my name like that, I could spare some extra time for whatever he had.

He led me upstairs and down a hall, people present, but not as much as downstairs. The hall had four doors down its length, and realized just how large this place is. It couldn't have been cheap. He opened the door at the end on the left and went in.

Closing it behind me, I looked about his room, seeing various posters for _The Police_ , _Aerosmith_ , and a seemingly out of place _Duran Duran_ one. Paraphernalia of those and more bands were present around the room; T-Shirts from concerts, record cases of various bands, and a record players hooked up to a very expensive looking set of stereos, more so than the stereos downstairs. There was also a small shelf with baseball related items strewn about; gloves, balls, and a light brown wooden bat. A sudden urge of kleptomania spread throughout me, but I just shook my head and sat down on Law's bed beside him. He reached under it and pulled out a beautiful wooden box, complete with intricate carvings and a padlock, which also had some indentations on it.

"You do that yourself?" I asked.

"Ha," He said, "No, God no. I couldn't even dream of doing something like this. The box was like this when I got it, and the lock's the work of a friend." He took a small key out from his pocket and stuck it in the lock, opening it. He pulled the top back, and inside was a small plastic bag with some green herb inside. He took it out of the box.

"So, why're you being so nice to me?" I asked. He dumped out the green on a nearby magazine.

"Why not? Really, there's no reason. I just wanted to know what was up with you, plus, like I said earlier, you're badass. You can fight real well, you're not a total asshole… I dunno. I just like you, I guess." He took out a small paper and started packing the green into it, rolling it as we talked.

"Not a total asshole? So I'm at least kind of one?"

"Dude, you pulled up your shirt to show me what choice cuts you had missing from you all of a sudden earlier. That was kinda fucked."

"Heh. It was, wasn't it?" He smiled and nodded, bringing the loaded paper up to his face and licking it like an envelope. I looked down at my watch and turned it on, seeing it light up and read _11:08_ in blue. I felt my heart jump, realizing that I was supposed to be gone nearly twenty minutes ago. I swore under my breath, before a hand-rolled joint was thrusted into my vision. I looked back up and took it, putting it in the small pocket on the inside of my coat.

"Thanks," I said. He nodded.

"Just make sure to come by here every now and then, alright?" I nodded. As he started to speak, so did someone else.

" _Alex, you need to get out of there!"_

"Nice. Alright, I'm sure you don't wanna hang around here anymore, I'll w-"

Out of the blue, a blood curdling screech of a girl cut through the music. It sounded like it was coming from the backyard.

" _Xerxes? Why're you here? What's going on?"_ I asked.

Law and I looked at each other, before we both got up and looked through his window as Xerxes said something, though I wasn't paying attention. It faced the backyard, and we were met with the presence of a large black figure charging through the window, which had the first floor roof in front of it, creating a sort of walkway.

As the glass broke and we were shoved backwards by the force of the form, I realized what the form was, and my fear skyrocketed. Law was shoved back towards his bed, while I was more to the side of the door, the shelf with the baseball stuff beside me. The creature looked at me, roared a deafening screech that easily beat the girl's, and moved towards Law. I shakily got back up, leaning on the shelf as the monster looked down upon Law, getting on top of him and roaring in his face. But it was before the monster was able to do anything that I had swung the bat from the shelf as hard as I could, hitting the alien square in the side of the head, knocking it off Law and leaving a… a dent in its head? Good God, did I swing _that_ hard?

It moved slightly, and I yelled as I swung the bat again, and again, and again, until the bat was all but melting and its head all but disintegrated. Law had crawled back to the door, terror spread across his face.

" _Stay away from here! Get back to the truck - I'll meet you there!"_ I said.

" _Alex, I'm not-"_

" _I'm begging you, just go back to the truck. I don't want you to get hurt or captured, so please, go back to the truck!"_ All got in answer was a simple affirmative. I sighed.

I looked down at the bat, seeing smoke come off as I saw it visibly shrink. I dropped it and reached to help Law up..

"You okay?" I said, picking him back up.

"What the fuck is that?!" He said, pointing to it. A sizeable chunk of the floor was missing now, and I wouldn't be surprised if it eventually fell to the bottom floor. I pulled out my pocket knife and flicked it out as I spoke.

"Don't know, though I have an idea..." The blade was hardly anything. It was sharp, I sharpened it myself, but sharpness wasn't an issue. I'm liable to get blood on myself if I use it, and I don't wanna turn out like that bat there. Better than nothing, I suppose.

"What, you know these things?" He said.

"I may have recently started a small war with an alien species…" I shamelessly admitted, "Here's one of 'em." It was then that I realized that over the music were multiple screams coming throughout the house, and multiple screeches and roars of unwanteds. "I'll tell you about it when we leave. You got anything we can use as a weapon?"

Law looked… shaken, to say the least. Though he seemed to functioning much better than most people in a situation such as this. He got down beside his bed, avoiding the body, and started searching for something, while I opened the door and peered down the hallway. I could see people running up the stairs, until they were cut down like grain by the tail blade of another creature. It started sprinting past the bodies before they even fell, getting to the door in record time. I screamed and slammed it shut, locking it and pushing the baseball shelf behind it.

"We're not going that way!" I shouted. A loud bang started repeated itself on the door, moving the shelf and busing the hinges out of the wall. I put my weight against it, trying to prolong it as Law got back up from the bed. The door was beginning to collapse, the top coming down on the shelf as I saw the alien come over it. I put all my strength into trying to push the door as high as I could, until Law came to my side, reached up over the door towards the alien, and then, a loud _bang!_ Green sprayed on the left side of the door frame and wall, and I managed to get the door somewhat back where it originally was. I looked at Law, taking note of a double barrel sawed off in his hand as he put another shell inside it. I looked at him, wondering why in the hell he would have a shotgun.

He must've saw the look on my face, saying, "It's my parents, I just didn't want this out there 'cause, y'know, everyone else." I just nodded. The multiple screams and screeches reminded me of our objective: escape. The door just wasn't happening.

"The window! C'mon!" I said. I ran up to it, knocking broken glass off the edge with my sleeve and climbing through it. Stepping out on the roof, I was reminded once again at the downpour present, the cold hitting me hard and fast. I looked back at the house, seeing that staying on the roof wouldn't get us towards the front yard. We would have to jump down.

However, as I looked back towards Law slowly getting across the glass, I failed to notice the form of another alien on the second floor roof looking down upon me. By the time I noticed it, he was already diving towards me, knocking into me and making us both tumble off the roof and onto the ground.

I landed on my left side, a sickening _pop_ and fire and spreading down my left arm before rolling twice and coming to a rest on my back. The wind was knocked out of me, and I couldn't do nothing but wheeze in pain, until I shakily looked up and saw the creature jumping on top of me. I tried rolling away once more, but was grabbed roughly by the shoulder and placed back on my back, with him crushing me with his weight on my stomach and pelvis. I tried bringing my arms up to block my neck and face, but only my right came up. My left was useless, that _pop_ being my arm coming out of its socket.

He grabbed my right arm, slammed it back to the ground roughly, and brought his face closer to mine, as though he were savoring his victory. I was terrified, though that terror would have made a normal person shit themselves. Instead, I spit in its face, watching it slide down his dome as he recoiled in surprise. He recovered, tightened his grip on my wrist, before opening his maw and preparing to strike. I closed my eyes, hoping not to feel the blow, though knowing I probably would.

Instead, the only blow I felt was the wind from some force that took my assailant off of me. I sat up and looked to my right, seeing another creature charging the one that was on me into a wall, dropping him to the ground, and stabbing him many times in the throat and chest with its tail blade in a fit of fury. There was an indent in the now melting wall where the now dead monster's body had crashed into. The other monster, well, he isn't a monster.

"Xerxes, you okay?" I said loudly. I saw his form slowly heave, as if he were calming himself down.

" _Yeah,"_ He said as he walked towards me. " _You?"_

I stretched out my right arm. "If you can't tell, I'm trying to lift lefty over here." He came to my side, lifting and examining my left arm. "I think it's dislocated. Don't suppose you know how-" I was interrupted by an intense pain in my arm, a subsequent scream owned by me coming immediately after. He dropped my arm, and I could move it again, fingers and all. A dull ache went throughout it, my shoulder aching and burning. Nothing out of the ordinary.

" _Of course I know, I read those notebooks you had,"_ He said. I punched him in the chest hard, though nowhere near hard enough to do anything to him, it appeared. Certainly got some anger out of me, though.

"Give a guy a warning, you dick!" I said, "And I thought I told you to go back to the truck!"

"Hey, Alex?" A voice rang out. I jumped when I heard it, looking back up the roof I fell from and seeing Law standing on it. "What the hell is happening?"

Xerxes looked up at him, eyeing him warily. " _Who's he?"_ He said. " _Can we trust him?"_

" _Yeah, we sort of saved each other's lives a couple minutes ago,"_ I replied. "Yeah, I may have refrained from telling you 'bout this bit, Law," I said, waving my arms around us. _Man, my shoulder hurts._

"I wouldn't've believed you until five minutes ago," He said. "He isn't gonna gut me if come down, is he?"

"I mean… You're not, are you?" I asked Xerxes.

He shook his no, while saying, " _If he tries something, I'm ripping out his heart for him to see."_

" _Ha, not funny,"_ I said. "You're good!" I told Law.

" _Wasn't trying to be."_

"Alright, coming down!" He sat down on the edge of the roof before pushing himself off, landing hard on the ground in a crouch before getting up. "He got a name?"

"Xerxes."

"Right," Law extended his right arm towards him. "Name's Lawrence, but you can just call me Law." Xerxes looked at his hand, looking as if he didn't know what to do before taking his hand.

They pulled away, Law saying, "Alright, we need to GTFO ASAP. If we can get to the garage, we can get in my car and go. But… we have to go through the house to get there, and I think there's more of them inside."

"How many shells you got?"

"Five, plus the two loaded."

"Alright, X over here is weapon by himself.. And I have…" I pulled the knife out, "This fuckin' thing." I was about to pull out the blade, but Xerxes put his hand on mine and tried pushing the knife back in my pocket.

" _Hold on,"_ He said, and started walking to the body he made. He knelt down besides him and grabbed his tail, before detaching it with his own tail blade. The end of the tail was squirting out green while Xerxes started to make something out of his own spit.

"You seem oddly calm," I told Law. "This shit normal for ya?" He scoffed.

"Normal? Alex, this is far from normal." He paused. "Here I am at my party with fucking aliens attacking us, one of which is friends with you, with a double barrel looking like fucking Mad Max and surrounded by dozens of bodies that likely won't show up for school tomorrow. I'm freaking the fuck out, man."

"Great! Use that fear! Gives ya something to fight for!" I came up to his side and reached around to his shoulder. "Or you're gonna end up like everyone else, my friend." He pushed me away.

"I won't freeze up. I didn't earlier, I'm not now." Xerxes was coming back, holding the tail in both hands before coming down to a knee and presenting the makeshift weapon to me. Where it was cut off from its host was some of that resin, stopping any blood from coming out.

" _Use this instead, Alex,"_ He said.

"Ooh, all ceremonial-like," Law quipped. I rolled my eyes.

"Get up, man," I said, taking the weapon from him. He merely grinned.

I brought up the blade to my face, gently putting my finger on it and pulling back immediately when it cut me like butter. I'd have to toss this whenever I wanted to attack, or else I'd be burned. At least the tail was ridiculously long, so I could easily be a safe distance away. _It can't be that difficult, can it? It's simple physics._

"You guys ready?" I nodded, while Xerxes hissed. "I'll take that as a yeah. Just follow me and hopefully we can get to the garage." He turned and started heading towards the open back door, the two of us closely behind. He got up against the wall to the left of the door while Xerxes and I were on the right. Xerxes and Law both looked inside at the same time, before bringing their heads back immediately.

" _There has to be at least five of them!"_ Xerxes said. Law put out his hand, sticking all five fingers up. I nodded.

 _Okay, we can do five. We have three, we have weapons, and we have the element of surprise. We got this._

I looked up at Law and put my open hand out, lowering a finger as I told Xerxes, " _Five, four, three, two, one…"_

Law went first, Xerxes second, myself third. The doors connected to a hallway, giving a straight shot to the living room. On the left of it was a large opening that led to the kitchen, which was empty and full of bloody bodies sprawled about. So too was the hallway and from what we could see, the living room. I could see horrifyingly familiar forms hunched over them, crunching and slurping. It reeked of copper, and I had to suppress an urge to gag and throw up. While Law and Xerxes charged straight down the hallway, I kept my back to them, keeping watch over where we came from. As I passed by the kitchen, I saw a spray can on a nearby pantry which I snagged and jammed into my coat pocket. I could've sworn I saw a form in there, and my thoughts were confirmed when one leaped out of there and started to bum rush me.

Grabbing onto the improvised weapon, I held the long handle in my left hand and threw the blade from my right, the tip digging through his chin and barely slowing down until it pierced through his neck. He collapsed in seconds, skidding to a stop a few feet away from me while still twitching and spreading blood all across the hall we came from, destroying most of the floor in seconds. It reeked worse than human blood. I ripped back on the handle, bringing the blade back to me. A decent amount of green stuck to it, and I made sure to swing it away from myself to get the blood off. Most came off, though a little did stay here and there.

I risked a glance behind me, seeing Xerxes pin a form against a wall and bury his head into the crook of its neck, before ripping away with a rather dramatic spray of blood. Law, on the other hand, was busy hopping over a knocked over couch before turning around, taking aim, and firing, an alien collapsing over it and melting the furniture. I looked back where we came from, before sprinting towards the others.

Xerxes was now busy grabbing our fourth threat by the neck and lifting him high in the air, before roaring as he slammed him into the ground. He let go, before rearing up his foot and stomping it hard on number four's throat, causing it to basically implode on itself.

I looked towards Law, watching him go towards a door before seeing the fifth and final one jump off a wall and towards him. Law turned just in time to see it land barely three feet away, and as he brought his gun up to aim, the alien slammed his hands to the side and into Law's arms. The gun went off, shells hitting the wall behind number Five and the gun going elsewhere. I ran towards them, readying my aim as Five slashed across Law's stomach hard and grabbing him by the neck, lifting his feet of the ground. Law put both of his hands around his stomach, not even bothering to grab the arms grabbing him.

As I saw Law get grabbed and hurt, I dropped my aim and resorted to a different tactic. I looked at Five, making him drop Law to the ground where he landed on his rear. Five hissed in frustration and confusion, before his tail - for some reason or another - went around to his front and pierced through his own stomach, appearing out his back. It came back out of his stomach before finishing the job from under his jaw, blood spraying around him. None of it hit Law, as he had begun crawling backwards slowly, much to the help of Xerxes pulling him back. It wasn't until the body fell to the ground that I realized that I had been screaming and raising my arms at the motions I caused Five to do. I was heaving with breath, and a headache was forming. I wiped my nose, seeing blood on the back of my hand. I went up to Law.

"You alright?" I said. He shook his head, small tears beginning to form in the corners of his eyes.

"I don't know. I think my guts'll fall out if I move my arms." Blood was seeping between his arms, though I have seen much worse. "I'm gonna die, aren't I?" I shook my head furiously.

"Hell no, you ain't." I looked around quickly, putting my improvised knife-thing's tail around my belt-loops to hold it there, the blade itself hanging into my left pocket, before finding and grabbing the dropped gun. I broke it open and dumped the casings out. "Where are the rest of the shells?"

"Right pocket." I reached in and grabbed them, loading two up and pocketing the rest as I closed the shotgun. As I handed him the weapon, I heard multiple hisses and screeches approaching. Looking back towards the hall we came from, I realized that we had forgotten about the stairs and likely other aliens above us. I looked back at Law.

"Gimme your lighter!" I demanded. He moved his arm from his gut and reached into his pocket himself this time, pulling it out and tossing it to me. " _Xerxes, grab him and get him to the garage."_ He nodded and ran to Law's side, slipping his arms under his legs and back before lifting him up. "Get him to the garage, I'll cover y'all!" I said.

I turned to our assailants, watching them jump over the couch and other furniture as I flicked the lighter open. I took the can out of my pocket, the label reading _cooking spray_ , before spraying it in front of me. Some of them stumbled at the sight, confused by what I was doing until I lit a flame under the spray, fire manifesting just out of range of them. I grinned as they dove backwards, unable to get away fast enough before looking back at me. I gestured for them to come to me.

"What? Are you scared of this lil thing?" I raised the can above my head. "Well come on!"

A familiar explosion of a shell rang out behind me, Law saying, "Dammit!" I looked behind me for a split second through an open door, before looking back at the threat as I heard them move and lighting the spray. This time, the fire engulfed the entirety of one of them and partially of another, before the spray stopped and the flame - minus the one looking like a candle - disappeared.

"Oh shit," I mumbled, before tossing the can at one and running. I saw Xerxes pop out from the open door I was running to.

" _Alex, come on!"_ He yelled. He reached around the door and slammed his hand down, breaking off the doorknob as it clattered to the ground. As I neared him, he grabbed me by the shirt and ripped me in, tossing me behind him as he slammed the door closed. He let go of knob as he slowly backed up, not looking away from the door as small dents began to form in it.

I slowly stood up, seeing Law up against a tool-bench in the back, opposite the garage door. A brown sedan was in the center and, as I noticed a familiar acrid smell, I saw a black form sprawled out near the back of it. The body had sprayed a fair amount of blood around, some of which was in the process of eating the back left tire, the hissing sound of lost air overpowering the hissing sound of hungry acid. Either way, the car wasn't happening.

"We can't drive outta here - the tire's melted!" I said. "We're trapped."

"What about the garage door?" Law said. Right as he did, a sound of glass breaking, something landing, and subsequent pounding sounded from said garage door. "Oh, shit… What now?"

I racked my brain for a possible plan, but nothing came. Escape is impossible, we would have to fight our way out or hold our ground, neither of which had good chances of survival.

" _What're we doing, Alex?"_ Xerxes asked, worry laced in his voice.

"We fight. If anything, we'll put up a helluva good last stand if all else fails." I tossed Law back his lighter as I took out my throwing blade, leaving most of the handle in my belt-loops. "But… I don't think we're survivin' this," I said. Xerxes came to my side, getting into a stance and ready to attack.

" _Alex?"_ I sighed.

" _You were right, Xerxes, I should've never come here. Maybe I could've saved you if I didn't…"_ I said. _Oh, Jesus this is like what I did with Tony! I dragged Law into this mess with me and Xerxes, and I basically just got us all killed by simply being. God, I can't fix this…_ I felt a sense of hopelessness that I haven't felt in years, and it shook me to my core. I felt sick. My heart hurt and everything was cold. But the cold went away when Xerxes' arm went around my side and brought me close to him.

" _Alex, in the twenty hours I've known you, I've been the happiest I've ever been in my two years of life."_ Chips were beginning to fly away from the garage door, and smoke was coming from the metal door as it began to bubble slightly. A large dent in the center appeared, and I became unsure whether it was the monsters or the door that was screeching. " _It was nice while it lasted."_ He released me, and I despised the fact that that was likely the last time we would ever touch. We both watched the door groan and crumble, waiting and refusing to go down without a fight.

Or at least, that was before sirens began to ring in the air, getting ever closer. The attackers on both doors must have heard it too, as they gave screeches in different tones than earlier before scampering off like coyotes. _Sure took y'all long enough,_ I thought.

"You guys should start running, unless you want them to find your friend, Alex," Law said. The blood looked like it was slowing down, but it was hard to tell.

"What about you?" I asked.

"What about me? Authorities are here, I just gotta wait for an ambulance now." I said nothing, not quite knowing what to do, before he said, "Go!" That got me going, and I turned towards the garage door button, pressing it. Me and Xerxes stood in front of it, waiting for enough room to go. "Hey, Alex?"

I looked at him.

He grinned. "Don't die."

"'Til we meet again, Law," I said. I looked back at the garage door. I took two running steps forward and slid under it, standing back up in the rain and seeing Xerxes run across the street between two houses. As I crossed the street, I saw a large formation of cars and sets of red and blue flashing lights making their way here in no time whatsoever. I stared for a second, sidestepped, and ran towards Xerxes, who was now climbing the wall to the backyard for one of the houses. It was nowhere near low enough for me to climb, and Xerxes waited at the top to help me up. I scrambled up it and grabbed his hand and elbow in my hands, before getting high enough to latch onto the wall itself. I pushed myself up and over it, Xerxes and I landing side-by-side.

This process of scaling and pulling me up walls continued for three more houses and two more minutes, until we finally reached the outside of the neighbourhood. Cop cars were everywhere, patrolling and looking out for, well, me. However, we were able to use a combination of back-alleys and fire-escapes to stay away from them. When we reached the truck twenty minutes later, we both got in the back and sat down, neither of us saying anything. I laid my head on a pillow and groaned, Xerxes laying down on the same pillow beside me.

"What did I do? What have I done?" I said, tears streaming down my face at the first word. Xerxes brought himself closer, wrapping his arms around me.

" _I've got you,"_ He said.

"There were so many bodies," I sobbed out, returning the embrace.

" _I know."_

"Did… Did I cause it?" I said, fearing the answer.

" _No,"_ He said, " _And even if you did, neither of us could've known it was going to happen. I don't know why they came so far into civilization, but they did and we can't fix what they did."_ And it was left at that.

I laid there, lost in my thoughts and replaying the night over and over again for however long, until I remembered something that was said to me there.

"Xerxes..?" I said, "When this is all over, you won't… You're not gonna leave, right?"

" _No!"_ He said. " _Once we leave for good, I promise you, we'll stick together."_ He paused. _"What was that you called her? A 'goddamn snobby cunt'?_ _,"_ He added.

"Who, Jane?" He nodded. I smiled. "Well, she was. I take it you were there the entire time?" Again, he nodded. "Well… thanks for watching over me."

" _Thanks for saving my life today."_

"Of course."

And then, all was quiet, minus the sirens in the distance. Neither of us could - or wanted - to sleep, so we just laid there, waiting for the heat to die down and the sirens to end.

It didn't stop until just before sunrise.

 **Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and all the rest! Thanks go to my beta-reader, Incurser for going over and editing this. Give him some season's greetings and read some of his stuff, too!**


	7. Chapter 7: I Can't Live Here Anymore

Chapter 7: I Can't Live Here Anymore

People are hard to trust, hard to believe. Everyone has some facade they hide behind, and though you may trust and like that facade, you probably know next to nothing about their true personality. Everyone creates their own mask to hide behind - I'm guilty of it, and so are you.

Of course, I wasn't born with this knowledge. Well, not all of it.

I had my mask, and it was pretty intricate in design too. Lots of time had been spent creating it, and new additions were always present to cover my real colors - black 'n' blue.

But _her_ mask… It was beautiful. _She_ was beautiful. And the day I was asked out by her was the greatest thing in the world. I suppose I could be seen as a coward for not taking the initiative and having the courage to ask her myself, but God knows what Frank might've done with that. I don't think it really mattered how it started though, it just felt like less of a risk with her starting it first.

Good God, how could I be more wrong?

It was the end of the year then, and we went to go see _Raiders of the Lost Ark_. We were both thirteen. She had to buy the tickets, and I could barely afford popcorn, which I gave to her as some form of payment. I didn't mind, I hated popcorn. She looked somewhere between disappointed and annoyed when she learned of the money problem, but she never brought it up.

We must've had a few more outings like that, with her, of course, paying for a good chunk of them, I mean. She kissed me on the third date, something that should've grabbed my suspicion much earlier. She got a little feely when she did, reaching under my shirt before immediately pulling away. Before I even had a chance to ask what was wrong, she had yanked my shirt above my face, and by the time I had it back down, her face was something of horror.

"Is that… Frank?" She asked. I could only nod, though it was barely noticeable. "Jesus, he does that to you?"

"I'm begging you - no one can know this. He'll probably kill me if this gets out." She looked surprised.

"What? I… You need to tell someone about this! Get some goddamn help or something!" She said. "Hell, I'll tell someone for yo-"

"No!" I interjected. "I mean it! You don't know what he can do…"

"I'm not scared of him."

"It's not you I'm worrying about here. _I'm_ the one who's gonna get shit if this gets out, not you. Seriously, don't worry about this."

She sighed, looking around for a few seconds before looking back at me. She had a guilty look on her face, and I would've never guessed what she was going to say next. "Alex, me being with you has been part of a bet. The goal was to be with you for a few months and I'd get some money. Nothing about any of this has been in the slightest part meaningful, but that doesn't mean I'm some completely heartless cunt. I'll tell everyone if it gives you some shot of safety."

"What?! Did you not hear a thing I just said?!" To say I was baffled by her reasoning was a huge understatement, and I could only chalk up her decision to 'not ever have been in a situation such as mine'. I felt like crying. She didn't say a word back, rather just walking away. It wasn't until a few moments passed that I realized what I had just heard her say, and I couldn't help but feel hopeless at my situation. She was done with me - though it never really started, either. And I was probably gonna die the next day.

As the next day rolled around, I was walking to my locker when I felt arms grab me from the back. I was twisted around and pinned against the lockers as someone grabbed a pair of scissors out of their pocket, slicing down my shirt and ripping it open. People who came around expecting some fight were rather horrified and surprised as they saw the deep scars and bandages surrounding my body. I already knew who got these guys to do this.

"No one can say a thing about this to Frank," I begged.

"Run away!" One said.

"Fight him!" Said another.

"Call the-" Everyone glared at the one kid who said this, before he finished, "Right, stupid idea.." Everyone knew just about all the cops were dirty and under Frank's control.

"It ain't that easy, you all know that! You can't let him find out about this - none of you are supposed to know this!" But nothing would stop the gossiping of hundreds of teens, and the confrontation between me and the school largely didn't matter afterwards.

When I came home early to get a new shirt and stayed there, Frank noticed immediately.

"Boy, where's your shirt?" He said, before the realization hit him like a truck that the secret of the torture and atrocities committed on my body had been revealed. "How many?"

"They just came up and sliced it off me!" I explained. "Please don-"

" **HOW MANY?!"** He roared, spraying the words on my face more than saying it.

"...The entire school." His face made no change, except for the slight twitch in his right eyelid which was more terrifying than anything that he could've done then. He got up from the chair he sat in.

"Go to the garage." He said. I did, happy that we weren't going to that damned secluded cabin again.

Inside was no vehicle, but rather a table and a two chairs, which had dried blood stains on them. I sat down. Something around two minutes passed, until he came back, holding a set of bandages, hydrogen peroxide, and a large hunting knife, which was sharpened to a razor's edge and serrated along the entire length of the blade. He set them all out neatly on the table.

"Grab the knife."

I did.

"Place your arm on the table."

I did.

"Here's what's gonna happen. You're gonna drive that blade right there through your arm until it sticks out the other end. I'll give you a minute starting twelve seconds ago." My heart beat fast, and as I lifted the blade above my arm and pressed the tip into it, I watched my blood begin to well and run down my arm onto the table. I barely felt the puncture, the blade sharper than a razor. I thought about how sick I was of seeing that shade of red all the time. I thought about what that one kid said about fighting back. I don't know what spurred me on that day, but I took the blade away from my arm and stabbed it into the table.

"No," I said.

"I'm sorry," He said, "What was that?"

"No."

"You misunderstood me, boy. Drive it through your arm like a FUCKING shishkebab in twenty seconds or so help me God I'll do it. And lemme tell ya, I ain't gonna do it fast."

"NO!" I yelled. He stared at me, before reaching for the blade. I was faster though, and managed to grab it and point it at him.

"No." Barely a whisper this time. He stood up, as did I. He looked like he wanted to do something, to attack, but instead, he turned around and walked out to the living room, closing the door behind with a _click!_ I just stood there, not quite realizing what had happened until I heard his truck start up and drive away.

 _Sweet mother of God, what have I done?_ I was locked in, since the garage door was actually chained and locked down from the outside.

An hour passed by, and all I could do was shiver and pace around. I still had no shirt. I considered driving the blade through my arm like he asked, maybe even both if I could manage it as a form of regret or something.

But it was as I was working up the balls to do it that I heard the truck approach the house. When the engine was killed however, there was no silence.

There was barking.

 _He brought dogs?! He's gonna kill me this time. He's actually gonna do it…_

As I heard his door slam shut, I was brought back out of my thoughts.

 _Don't just stand there - Do something!_

I knocked over the table, giving me some cover towards the garage door. I heard him start unlocking and pulling the chain out.

 _Dogs. I've never fought dogs. How the hell is this gonna work?_

The door was lifted up, opening immediately and slamming stop at the top. Outside was Frank, blood covering a good portion of his upper body - and likely not his - with two german shepherds on leashes side-by-side with him. I ducked back down, though I don't know what good it'd do me…

"You got five seconds. Better start runnin'!" He yelled.

I couldn't've gotten up faster. I jumped over the table, knife in hand, and started booking it past him towards the woods. Once I was outside, his 'four' jumped straight to 'one', and then I heard running and even more barking. My heart was beating a million times a minute, my legs carrying me faster than I thought they could.

I wasn't surprised he let them go early, though, because this wasn't about escaping the canines. This was about splitting the pair apart. If I could get something between me and them, somewhere open and not so damn claustrophobic, I could get some plan formed on taking them out.

I weaved in and out of trees, twisting my path somewhat in a desperate attempt to gain some ground. As I went around a tree, I failed to remember the blade in my right hand, which smashed into to the tree and dislodged the thing from my grip. I didn't even think about going back for it, considering how close I could hear them. I risked a glance behind me, horrified to see that they were less than five feet away and quickly closing in. A tree up ahead had a large fork in it, splitting it two ways and giving enough room for me to jump through it.

As I clambered through it, grabbing onto the two halves of the fork to get through, I was ripped back by my right arm as a pair of jaws clamped down on it. I held onto the tree with my left, digging my fingers in as best as I could while the dog thrashed his head left and right rapidly to my arm. I felt it finally come out the socket, a _pop_ accompanying the pain and lack of control. A steady stream of blood was going down my arm, the bite being more in the middle of my forearm.

It was at this time that the other dog had gone around the tree was making a run straight towards my back. I couldn't turn around due to my arm being pinned, so in a last ditch effort to keep myself from being mauled, I dove back through the tree and crashed into the one that had my arm. As I did, I swung my left as best as I could in that awkward state, hitting him in the nose. That combined with my sudden advance was enough to get him to let go and back away for a moment. I dug into my pocket and pulled out a pencil as I backed up against the tree, figuring some weapon was better than none. The bark scraped my back, but I paid it no mind.

As the dog from before came back around the tree once more, the one in front began its charge. I reared back and kicked as hard as I could with my right foot, clocking the dog in the side of the head and knocking his body down. It rolled away before getting back up, though seeming dazed somewhat. During this, the other one, now on my left side, launched itself at me. I twisted my body around and swung my legs to the left up and over the dog as it made an attempt to bite my face or throat. I pressed all my weight down on it and locked my legs as best as I could, raising the pencil up and down into his eye. I forced it in as hard and far as I could, the dog giving a yelp as I felt the other jump on my back. It bit into the back of my shoulder, barely missing the back of my neck as it dug its claws in. I released my grip on the one below me, jumping up and backwards to land on the one behind me, bringing the red and white-ish pencil to my side and jabbing it hard and fast into the dog's side.

The other dog was watching from afar, whimpering a most God-awful noise that _almost_ broke my heart. The jabs were doing nothing but making the dog beneath me growl and bite harder, prompting me to roll over, force my legs to stand up, and back into the nearest tree as hard as I could. The teeth dug in even further, but as I did this twice more, I felt the dog stop biting me and drop back to the ground. It attempted to bite my leg, but I managed to get a good kick into his side before he could. He yelped, but before he could think about making another advance, I was back up to him and kicking again. It wasn't until my fifth or sixth that I stopped, backing away and up against a tree. Neither of the dogs were doing much of anything now but whimpering, before one started to run back towards Frank. The other, not wanting to be alone with me any longer, followed behind the first. I sighed, feeling pain in many various appendages and my soul.

I started walking back towards the house, slowly and dreadfully. It was before I was even close to it that a sudden blow struck me in the back of the head. I fell to the ground and blacked out.

When I awoke, I was being dragged down a set of stairs by my feet. My head smashed into each step until we reached the bottom, where I was flung like a ragdoll inside without a word from my assailant. As I stood up, taking note of my now working arm, I looked back towards the door, seeing Frank grin something sinister before slamming the door.

* * *

Technically, we didn't see a sunrise, thanks to the surrounding buildings and crappy weather. But it was around that time when it was safe enough to leave. We laid there all night in that makeshift bed, neither of us getting any sleep. At some point, I had removed the tail-and-blade from my belt and set it behind the driver's seat. I looked at my watch, reading _5:48_. I sat up.

"Are you okay?" I asked Xerxes.

" _Are you?"_

My mind flashed back to the bodies that were ripped to shreds, the stench of copper and acid, and the near overwhelming feeling of doom and demise.

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Right, stupid question." I climbed up to the front seat and turned the ignition, the truck humming to life.

" _How's your shoulder?"_ He asked.

"I swear to God, you better give me a warning next time. That sucked." I pulled out of the alleyway, heading back home while doing my best to avoid the few patrol cars still around.

" _I was pissed at you. I didn't want us to die because you went there - That happening terrified me."_

"...I know. I should never've gone…" Silence surrounded us afterwards.

That is, until the sirens and flashing lights appeared behind us. I looked in the mirror, spotting the car as it drove my way. I thought about running, but that get 'em all after me then. I kept my cool, finding an empty parking lot where I pulled in.

" _What's going on?"_ Xerxes asked. I turned towards him and waved him to get down.

"Get down! We got pulled over. Just keep down from the windows as best you can."

The cop pulled in behind me, before getting out with a flashlight and his hand on his holster. There were a few other things he had, such as a taser-gun on his left side, cuffs, mace, etcetera etcetera.

I rolled down my window as he came up. "Do you know why I pulled you over, son?" He said, shining the light directly in my eyes.

"You tell me, officer."

"Don't get smart with me." He shined the light inside, searching. "You got anyone else with you?" I shook my head, though it didn't matter when he shined it in the back, his face scrunching up in terror.

"Jesus Christ, it's one of those?!" He raised his gun up towards me, then the back-side window as he backed up. But before he ever even had the chance to actually aim, his left hand betrayed him and grabbed his taser, before shooting himself in the neck with it. He dropped the gun in his right, falling to the ground as his twitchy fingers held the trigger.

I got out, mindlessly wiping away my bloody nose as I slowly approached. He was still pulling the trigger, until I kicked his hand away. His only movements were sporadic twitches.

I opened his door, slowly carrying him back into his car and killing the engine. I grabbed his taser, wiping it down as best as I could with my shirt before awkwardly slipping it back into his holster. I thought about taking it or his gun, but figured I shouldn't test my luck. I closed the door, wiping down the handle before getting back in the truck. I sighed, put my belt back on, and started driving.

"So, he knew about ya - Hell, all the cops probably do now. Hopefully _that_ won't bite us in that ass, too…"

" _What's the plan?"_ He asked moments later.

"We go back to the house, pack up, and wait until one. I trust you know what we're doing then, you eavesdropper."

" _Heh… Yeah, I do."_

* * *

The drive lasted forever.

We laid there all night, listening in fear and sadness for the police.

How many bodies were there? A dozen? A couple dozen?

Not just human, but my kind too. How many have I killed?

 _Too many._

Alex blames himself, which I hate. This is more my fault than anything, considering that I was catalyst that made them hunt him.

And then there's Lawrence who now has to live with those sights and memories now. That is, if he did survive.

He did. He was a fighter, reminded me a bit of Alex. Like he's been through his own Hell, too. He couldn't have died, he just couldn't…

Alex is strong, and I'll help him get past this.

I just hope _I_ can get past this.

* * *

As we came up to the house, it became apparent that mom wasn't there at all, her car still missing since yesterday. Not that I was surprised - in fact, I expected her to be gone. Maybe we should be quick about this. I mean, I barely have anything to pack, but maybe it'd be best for us to leave without her knowing.

 _Not like she deserves a goodbye anyways,_ I thought. I sighed.

I opened the garage door with the press of a button, backed in, and closed it behind us. Xerxes climbed out the back as I walked around to the door to the living room.

What followed next was the lengthy process of carrying my stuff out to the truck. The T.V. was coming with no matter what - that thing was not cheap. I emptied out my backpack in my room and stuffed three sets of clothing and socks, as well as an extra coat in it. I tossed my pillow in as well. I stole a few soda and food cans, as well as a can opener, and tossed them in the back, giving us a few days of free food. I emptied the box of my old assignments, packing it full of the comics I had and stuffing it in the back. I did a careful search about the house, grabbing my stashed pocket knives (including the one I left open in the bathroom) and tossed them in the truck as well. A quick count showed twelve of them. Finally, I grabbed the gun and ammo, thought about putting it away in the truck, before jamming the gun in my waistband and the ammo in my pants pockets. The moon-clips put large, noticeable lumps along my leg.

A solid hour later, everything but one thing had been packed. As I walked back from the garage to my room, I knelt down beside my dresser where the T.V. was, pushing it to the side a little too hard and losing it, the entire thing tipping over and crashing down. I paid it no mind, reaching into the hole in the wall and placing a small amount of dead presidents into my wallet, which equated to about a quarter of the stash. The rest of it was divided up and stored in my socks.

Xerxes came down the hall as I closed the door behind me. " _What was that?"_ He asked.

"The sound of good ol' American tender." He said nothing, still looking at me. "Money. I emptied out my stash, so we should be okay for a little while." I walked past him.

" _The one in the wall?"_ I stopped and spun around, talking the second he said that.

"Good God, you been snooping in my room, too? You didn't take any, did ya?" He shook his head grinning.

" _Yeah, Alex, because I wanted to go buy another pizza."_

"Smartass," I said as we made our way to the living room.

" _How much is it?"_ I landed on the couch as he sat down, grabbing the T.V. remote and turning it on. David Hasselhoff appeared, driving a familiar black Trans AM.

"Honestly? I don't exactly remember. It'll be enough though, that much I know."

" _And where_ are _we going?"_ He asked.

"Dunno yet. All depends on what happens at one." We said nothing for a moment, before I stood up and said, "Okay, I'm gonna take an actual shower this time. If you want to change it to something else or make it louder," I handed him the remote and pointed to the buttons, "Press these. You'll figure it out."

Ten seconds later, I was back in my room, lifting my dresser back up on its side and grabbing underwear and gray socks. A pair of blue jeans, a red long-sleeved shirt that had a camouflage style, and a thick, but not heavy, black cotton coat came from the closet.

As I closed the door behind me, I remembered the last time I was in here. I shuddered slightly, before shutting the memory out. That sucked then, it still sucks now. I undressed, looking at the lines across my body and the familiar sight of bandages wrapped around me. I sighed, cutting them all off with my pocket knife.

I saw my collection of cuts, all of which had a black, powder stuff around them - like charcoal. The cuts themselves were already almost gone, but it was still visibly red and tender around them. I didn't bother re-wrapping any of them aside from my hand, since it was still looking and feeling pretty nasty.

I climbed in the shower, turned the hot water to the max, and sat down, letting the scolding water hit my back. Well, in reality it just felt warm, though I'm willing to bet it would burn any normal human. Feeling exhausted, I leaned against the wall and assured myself that I was merely resting my eyes.

I couldn't get my mind off of yesterday; Jackson's, Lawrence's… Are our lives really worth more than everyone else's?

…It terrifies me how easily the answer comes to me. _Of course they are. Nobody deserves to live more than us - We've fought too hard to die now._ The thought sickened me, but I refused to deny it. _It's too late for them, but we can NOT let their sacrifices be in vain._

God, how's Xerxes holding up? He doesn't seem to be doing all that bad, but what do I know? He could be torn up inside, or maybe he's not. I'll have to talk to him later.

And then there's that fucking cop from earlier. Gotta hope he doesn't remember anything or something. Maybe I should've seen if I could just erase it. I'm capable of all those other things, maybe I can do that too.

A few moments passed by as I felt the water pelt me, my mind not really focusing on anything, that is, until…

Next thing I knew, I was thinking about me and X, _going at it_. Admittedly, I've never had sex, not even with Tony. We should've died so many times in the short time we've known each other, and with me about to go back to Jackson's, well… Maybe death'll threaten me, maybe he won't. Either way, this will likely mark the last set of freetime before we either leave this town or leave this life. I really don't fancy the idea of dying a virgin. Yeah, I'll definitely have to talk to him.

At some point, my eyes had opened. I guess I turned around, too, as the water was hitting my front and I could see the drain. Something was off, however, as I couldn't hear the water anymore - even though I could see it hitting the tub and myself. I was confused at my deafness, until I started to hear some sort of groaning, as if it was coming from the drain. I looked at it, wondering what the hell I was hearing until a black mass started to bubble up from it. It was coming up at a slow, but steady pace, and it wasn't before long that it had started _crawling_ up my leg.

I made an attempt to yell, but my voice was gone. It burned as it crawled up my thigh, up my torso, and eventually, over my entire body. Everything was on fire, and it didn't end until it had covered every last bit of light I could see, surrounding me in darkness.

I gasped awake, my eyes shooting open as I looked around frantically. I was still in the tub, my body untouched and the sound having returned. I swiveled around, looking at the drain and seeing nothing out of the ordinary before getting the courage to get close enough and place the plug on it.

 _Fucking nightmares,_ I thought. I heard the door open and immediately stood up, even though I couldn't see Xerxes and he couldn't see me due to the curtain.

" _You okay? Your fear, I could sense it,"_ He said.

"I… yeah, I'm alright. Had a bad dream, 's'all."

" _Why are you sleeping in there?"_ I said nothing. " _Do you want to talk about it?"_

"No, no, I'll be fine." There was a brief pause. "I really do love you, Xerxes and… I'm sorry I put us through hell like that earlier, that was so fucking stupid and selfish of me. I… I got a lot of people pointlessly killed and…" I was about to continue, until he decided that he too wanted in the small tub. We were both hardly a foot and a half apart.

"Woah, what're you doing?" He ignored me, getting closer and hugging me. "Hey, man, there's a time and a place."

" _Shut up,"_ He said. " _I love you, too. You swear we won't do any more stuff like yesterday?"_

"Not intentionally, at least," I said. "Yeah, I swear." He let go of the hug, giving a nod before making an attempt to leave. However, I grabbed him by the arm gently, pulling him back in.

"Look, confidence and unbacked sureness of our survival tonight aside, we need to acknowledge the fact that this night may be our last. I think that we should - and _only_ if you're okay with it - ...do a little more than kissing, if you catch my drift."

" _Oh yeah?"_ He said with a sly, bordering on mocking tone.

"Yeah. We can go at your pace, so you don't lose control or anything. But I… I would like it if we could…?" I trailed off. "Like I said, only if you want-" He placed a finger on my lips - much more coordinated than when Jane did it - effectively shutting me up.

I think it's safe to say, we were pretty audible throughout the house.

* * *

We sat on the couch, both of us under a blanket and watching _Gunsmoke_. Xerxes held me close from behind, pressing up against me. His leg was hooked over mine.

" _Alex… You're shivering. This isn't getting better,"_ He said.

"I'm fine. It'll get better, just give it time."

" _What if it doesn't?"_

I hesitated. "I'll ask someone when we go later, though I doubt they'll have answer."

" _What about a healer?"_

"Like a doctor? They'd probably have some questions as to why I'm freezing in sixty degree weather, questions I would have no answers to." I paused. "It _has_ to get better."

Xerxes didn't reply.

Doc Adams started talking to someone, though I couldn't catch their name as the signal started to buzz in and out.

" _How much longer do we have?"_ I reached out from under the blanket towards the coffee table, grabbing my watching and turning it on.

"Little under an hour." I rushed back under the covers. "We still got time." I planned to make this time last as long as it could. Calmness like this was deserved, and I refused to pass it up.

It only lasted for another seven minutes.

" _You hear that?"_ Xerxes asked.

I muted the T.V. and listened, not catching on until I could just barely hear it in the distance.

" _That's that lady, isn't it?"_

"Shit, yeah. My ma." I swiveled around and sat up. "Get in the truck and hide. I'm gonna stay behind - tell her I'm leaving."

" _Are you sure? Shouldn't we go_ before _she finds out?"_ I shook my head.

"She ain't no saint, but she deserves to know that I'm not dead in some ditch I suppose." I unmuted and turned off the T.V., placing the blanket back on the back of the couch exactly as it was earlier. He didn't move. "This isn't me doing something stupid, trust me. Go!" He did.

I snatched my watch, running to my room before doubling back to the bathroom, grabbing my clothes that were still there and only then getting to my room. I closed the door as I heard the car pull up.

As I pulled my shirt over, tripped while putting my pants on, and secured my watch to my arm, I could hear the front door open. I slipped my coat on as I heard this, immediately regretting my idea considering how spaced she probably was. The window was a very appealing escape at the moment. I shook the idea away, swallowed my pride, and reached for the door. I took one last look at my room, before closing the door behind me. This place was nothing but a bed for nightmares and trauma that I needed to forget. I hoped the next place would be better.

Of course it would be better. Now I had Xerxes with me.

I walked down the hall, spotting Cassandra and someone else sitting where Xerxes and I sat earlier. The guy looked like a twig, marks so visible on his arms that you'd swear he wore them with pride. She was looking a little shaky, sort of tilting back and forth, side-to-side. Though she was still conscious enough to realize I was here, visibly jumping when she glanced in my direction.

"Alex? Kid, why ain't you at school?" She asked.

"Don't worry, I was just leaving." I struggled to find a way to say it, until she continued.

"Where to?"

"None of your concern."

"Hardly a way ta talk to ya momma," The guy said.

"Hardly a way to live as a grown-ass man, druggie."

"Hey, man! I've been trying-!" She gave me a dirty look as she hushed him up, calming him down somewhat.

"...You are coming back, right?" A small grin or a sad smile - I'm not sure which - crept across my face as I looked down, shaking my head.

"I can't live here anymore. This place is nothing but a bad memory to me, and I don't think I can take another minute staying."

"Where the hell do you plan on going? And what about your school?"

"Dropped out and don't know," I replied, walking up the window behind the T.V. and seeing her car blocking the garage. "Can ya move your car?" She stood up and walked to me.

"Dropped out? Kid, what're you doing?"

"Honestly, I haven't a fuckin' clue. I know it's what I have to do though if I want a snowball's chance at happiness."

"What? You _are_ happy here."

"Move your car."

"Alex, you ain't leaving."

" _Move_ your car," I repeated.

"Alex, I-"

"PLEASE!" I shouted, before quieting down. "Please, move your car." She shook her head, less in disagreement and more in disappointment.

"Don't do this." I sighed.

"I'll move it." I walked to the garage room door. "Have a good life… Mom." And the door was shut behind me. She never opened the door, or came after me. I pressed the button to open the garage door, walking under it as it still opened and into the downpour.

I walked to her car and tried opening the door only to find it locked. I picked it, swinging the door open before reaching in and putting it in neutral. I angled the steering wheel and walked to the front of it where I started pushing. I heaved and groaned, but within a minute, the car was backed up enough to allow me to leave. I got in the truck, and before I was able to start it, I heard the door to the living room open. I turned, half expecting to see her come out, but being greeted with the guy's presence.

"Ya really got her all kinds of torn up, kid." I started it up and put it in drive.

"Not enough to get her to tell me herself," I said, and started driving. I got outside the garage, where I pressed the garage button on the remote before tossing it outside as far as I could, the thing landing somewhere in the woods. I went down the drive, not once looking back or thinking about it. I cranked the heat up. Xerxes came up from behind, placing a hand on my shoulder.

" _You okay, Alex?"_ He asked.

"...I'll tell you when we leave."

* * *

Another dark, back alley later, I put the truck in park and turned it off.

"Okay, this should be a quick in-and-out type of thing. We shouldn't be more than an hour at the most."

" _This sounds familiar,"_ He quipped.

"Ye of little faith! There's no room for my dumbass to lose track of time this time 'round. Like I said, just an hour."

" _C'mon, we can leave right now. You just have to start the truck and drive, and we can do whatever we want."_ I shook my head.

"It's not that easy. They'll come after us if we do. I just have to do this one thing, end things on good terms, and we can leave."

" _We'll fight if they come."_

"No," I said firmly, "We won't. They brought me in when no-one else would and were all but family to Tony, and I could never betray his memory like that."

" _Guy on the phone sure seemed dead set on labeling you as a traitor."_

"He ain't never trusted me. Fuck him."

" _...Please, Alex."_

"...If I'm not back in an hour," I grabbed his hand and forced the keys into it, "Go. Do not, no matter what, stay or look for me. Wait until dark, and drive the hell outta here. Ditch the truck after a while, and run as far as you can from here. You can make it, I know you can."

" _Except you're coming back, and I'll drag you from Hell if I have to. Actually, no, what am I saying? We're leaving,_ now," He said.

I got close to his face. "Stop me," I growled. He backed up slightly, taken aback by what I said. I opened the door. "I'm going. I _will_ be back. I love you." I closed the door behind me.

" _Alex…"_ He said, barely over a whisper. I said nothing, walking away while rain water built up around my eyes.

I wanted to say, "I'm sorry, Xerxes, we can go." Something like that, at least. But that just can't happen, not until this is finished.

An uneventful, three block walk later, I was standing in front of a large office building, the bottom of which has been refitted for a mechanic's shop. It is certainly not the type of building one would expect for a mechanic, but its large size has allowed for many vehicles and workers to be present at once. A small office was in the back.

There was another two floors on top of that, providing storage for various car parts, some beds for a safehouse, and a small armory - mostly consisting of a few small pistols and a shotgun last I checked. Going upstairs was impossible, unless you had the key to the doors in the stairwell.

In the back of the shop itself was a small garage, which held a few cars and vans which would be used when we leave later. The garage itself leads into a back alley, with the garage door painted to match the wall it was in by some really good painter. It does the trick, too, since it's nearly impossible to see it.

I headed for the office inside. When I opened the door, I saw Devin sitting at an office table. He's like the middle man between Jackson and the boss, though Jackson and I were still to report to him every now and then.

"Alex, you're early. Early is good." He motioned for me to come. "Sit down." I did.

"Y'know, y'all are kinda hampering my efforts of learning." He snorted.

"Kid, don't play that shit with us, you should know that by now."

"Just making sure you're keeping tabs on me." They probably knew about Xerxes, but if they ain't mentioning anything, it doesn't matter.

"You know what to do, right?"

"Of course."

"And you're armed?"

"C'mon, we both know the answer to that. Any seventeen year-old doing the dirty work for their employer would be."

"Right, right." He leaned forward, looking at me funny. "Kid, you okay? You're shivering and it's gotta be seventy-nine in here." I shrugged.

"Can't keep warm. Don't know why," I breathed out.

"You gonna be able to do your job?"

"We're gonna find out…" I looked down at my shoes, before remembering something and looking back up quickly. "Hey, I need you to set up a meeting with the boss after this for when we come back."

"Awfully short notice."

"I gotta quit and leave town. Tonight."

"You got people after you?"

"I got a whole motherfucking species after me." He snorted again.

"I'm not sure I quite follow, kid."

"...Can I talk to you? Like, off the record?"

"Whatever you say, I ain't gonna rat you out. So long as you ain't bringin' the hammer down on us."

"No, never," I said. I racked my brain for some words in some order to say what I meant to him. "You hear about that massacre that happened at that party last night?"

"Of course, it's all over the news. What about it?"

"..." _Words, goddammit, come to me!_ But he already knew.

"Wait, _you_ were there?" I hesitantly nodded. "Good lord, kid, you alright?" I looked down at my shoes again.

"I don't know, man. I've never seen that much blood. Hell, I don't think anyone here would've ever seen that much blood in their life." My mind was flashing back to then, and I forced my mind to think of something else. Xerxes was the first thing, and it brought some semblance of calmness. "But the creatures there… Those are why I'm quitting."

"Creatures? Back up, what creatures?"

"Now don't _you_ play that shit with me. The cops've gotta know about it, and by default, you should too!"

"I…!" He drifted off, looked around real quick, before getting up and quickly shutting the blinds to all the windows, including the glass door, which he locked. He sat back down.

"How much do you know about them?" I said.

"Black as night, quick as hell, tough as shit… Missing anything?"

"They hate fire and they've got acid for blood." I pulled the shirt on my right shoulder down. "Could've been worse, I suppose. Still hurt like hell."

"That the party or Jackson's?"

"...Jackson's…" I lied, "You do know that they're probably what killed the last guys you sent in, right?" He sighed.

"Wouldn't be surprised. And the fact you got one to bleed is a step up from most of our guys."

"...How long have you known about them?"

"Little less than a month."

"And you didn't think about warning us?!" I said. "Jesus, maybe Jackson didn't have to be gutted like that then!"

"Keep your voice down!"

"Why does nobody know?!" I whisper-yelled.

"Oh, hey, Dan, don't forget to look out for those fuckin' aliens runnin' about. They'll ruin your day right bad, yes they will," He mocked. "They haven't killed our own until yesterday, everything else is maulings and missing persons cases that were well covered up."

"How in the Hell do you cover that up?" He shrugged.

"Couldn't tell ya. We had an insider in the police station, guy who filed reports in on evidence and such. Well, he had access to some case files, and there was a code that appeared in almost all of the homicide cases popping up near the edges of town."

"What was it?"

"XX121." I looked at him funny. "Yeah, we got a hunch that its some third party or benefactor or something paying the police some good money, sorta like what Frank did." I stopped listening, quickly getting lost in my thoughts at hearing _his_ name.

I said, "What does the team think we're about to do?"

"It's a rivalry between gangs, and that this is less about the car and more about a message now." He paused, then added, "But still get the car."

"You still sending me there with this?" I pointed to the handle sticking out from my waistband.

"Fuck no. Come on." He left the office, with me trailing behind.

"Damn, and you were gonna, too." He shook his head, going up a flight of stairs.

"Nah, I knew you knew, just had to make sure." I could feel my stomach steadily drop.

"...How much do you know?"

"Enough to know that this Xerxes guy is something of importance," He said. "Don't take that as a threat, not what I meant. Now, you can't quit, and this isn't gonna be a case where we kill you if you leave. This is because you are something of a prodigy among us."

"What? A prodigy?"

"Kid, you gotta know. Tony said a lotta good about you. Couldn't get him to shut the Hell up about you. Guy had a million and one plans laid out for the perfect opportunity to get you out of Frank's house, most which ended with Frank dead." He sighed. "You were his world, and kid, you're a hard worker here, and that's because you learned from the best. And we can't have you, or Xerxes, leaving."

"I…"

"I know what Xerxes is, and I know what you two are, and I couldn't give less of a shit about that. But here's the thing: I know you _and_ him have to leave town tonight. So here's what's going to happen: You're not quitting, you're being transferred."

"Transferred? Where?"

"We're not sure, but we'll be able to tell you when you get back. But this is how it has to be."

"...He will _not_ work here. Only I work." He nodded.

"Of course, of course," He quickly said, before reaching into his pocket, pulling out a key, and unlocking the gated room to the right. "Grab the shotgun and as many shells as you want." I did, moving the revolver ammo to my right pocket and stuffing my left pocket full until my pants were liable to fall down to my ankles. As I packed it full, I felt other shells already in my left pocket, before realizing they were the shells I took from Law. I smiled at the fact that I unintentionally stole them, though it quickly disappeared when I remembered… well, Law. Devin grabbed my shoulder as I walked out. "Hey, you bring that back when you return, alright? Don't you dare lose that." I nodded.

"Got a death grip from Hell on it."

"Good, keep it that way." Back down the stairs and towards the back garage. "Holds eight shells, twelve gauge. Kicks like a mule, but might be enough." I nodded, loading it as we walked.

"So, who's coming with?" I asked.

"Eh, you won't know any of them. They got experience though, well, most of them."

"Most?"

"You got a rookie with you."

"The fuck," I said.

"Keeps it looking normal; we always send a rookie if we can."

"That… is still fucked no matter how you look at it." He shrugged, and that was that. The last shell was loaded, before I pumped it and listened to satisfying noise.

We finally got to the back after a short minute, and behind a locked door was two small vans, with seven other people standing about. The team.

 _Eh, they look competent enough. Then again, who the hell's the rookie? They all sort of look rookies… Just one hour, then we're good, right?_

It was here that it would collectively begin to go to shit.

* * *

He's doing something stupid.

He's doing something really stupid and I just can't wrap my mind around it.

I'm still in the truck and I don't know why. I need to go after him, keep him out of trouble and alive. He's being trivial about this. We should've just left when we could've.

So why am I still here? I've followed him before, why not now? This isn't about trust, or respect, or whatever…

I should've stopped him. Pinned him down, made him see reason. Or at least long enough for it to not matter anymore…

I heard footsteps approaching, a giggling noise, before a terrible _screeching_ noise rang out against the truck. I jumped, before darting out the door and catching the noisemaker.

It was the guy that left with that girl, Jane, yesterday at the party. He had a set of keys, similar to the ones I slipped under the seat in the truck, in his hands and aimed at the vehicle. There were large, unsightly marks along the side of it. The guy had a look of pure terror plastered across his face, and a large stain was quickly becoming larger and larger near his groin. A growl built up in my throat before I rushed to him and slammed his head into the side of the truck.

In relatively short time, his knocked out body was glued to the roof of a nearby building, his arms and legs pinned to the ground by copious amounts of resin. He was still out by the time I was done, and likely wouldn't open his eyes until much later with how hard I hit him. The rain was pelting him like crazy, but it did nothing to him. The more I looked at him, the more I realized why I was still here, and I internally slapped myself.

 _Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Xerxes. Chase him down before he gets stuck to a wall like him, NOW!_ I told myself, and I was off that roof before I could decide otherwise.

* * *

It had to have been twenty minutes, maybe more by the time I got to the place.

It was a massacre.

Trucks and vans were there, most of which were burning. Bodies were strewn about, and I passed by them all to make sure none were Alex. The car that Alex got yesterday was gone, and a large gap was in the garage door behind where it was, as if something broke through it. It wasn't the car though, it was way too big. And metal was pushed inwards, like something broke _in_ , not out.

On the ground was his jacket, lying next to one of the burning hunks of metal, which I slowly picked up. It was smoldering, but not from fire. I dropped it, before looking back at the garage door.

I went in through the gap, carefully avoiding any small flames present. The body of the one I killed was still there, plus a few more here and there, including the body of a Praetorian! I saw a small device on a workbench against the wall. It was the same thing Alex had when I tailed him that first time, but now without the earbuds. But it wasn't that that grabbed my attention, but rather the 'Play me' written on the wall behind it.

With _blood_.

My heart pounded, and I desperately hoped that Alex was the one who got the car and got out.

My thumb hovered over the small triangle symbol for a small eternity, before I finally allowed myself to press it.

There was a click, and then it played.

* * *

It's been a rough few hours for Ben.

First, he gets assigned to this stupid fucking job. "Get the car," They said, "Recover any members from the previous team and their weapons if possible, and leave the ones that did this a message."

"Who're the pricks that killed Jack?" He asked.

"Dunno, probably fuckin' Aryans or some biker wannabes. Doesn't matter, just take care of them."

Who the hell was he to questions orders? They weren't paying him to think.

Still sucks though.

And now he's gotta deal with this fucking kid, who's got that fucking shotgun looking like it came fresh from the SWAT armory. Bit overkill for the situation, in't it? And he's _shivering_ when it's gotta be just barely under seventy with the heater on.

They couldn't get to the damn place fast enough.

"Awfully young for a job like this, ain't ya? You know how to even shoot that thing?" Ben asked.

"You know how to even hide your boot knife? Right foot on the outside, prick, I can see the bulge."

He looked down, and sure enough, the strap must've loosened and was now letting the sheath lean against his pant leg. The third guy in the back suppressed a chuckle.

He grumbled while fixing it, mumbling many words that could make anyone blush. Fucking kid.

By the time the anger simmered down to mild dislike, they had arrived. The endless rain battered all eight of them as they filed out of the two vans, four people each. You'd think with an organization as large and done up as theirs that they'd have some outfit they'd all wear, but most of them just wore whatever. Hell, two of them were still in overalls and covered in grime and oil having just come from working on… something.

Ben really didn't give a shit either way.

What he did give a shit about was the fact that there were a lot of cars around, and a lot of bodies around. And the real kicker was: they weren't all human.

Many of them muttered while some others just didn't care for whatever reason. Those others, two to be exact, were the rookie and someone else.

"C'mon kid," The guy said to the rookie, "Simple job for ya: get the car runnin'." The kid nodded furiously, obviously eager to prove his worth, and ran around to the car.

The actual kid, when he saw some of the bodies, mumbled something as well, sounding most like a curse to God. He was busy eyeballing the bodies, the inhuman ones to be exact, while sweeping the area with the gun. The barrel visibly shook with his hands.

Ben looked around, seeing the cars were parked so that the original two vans that came in were parked left of the muscle car, while their two vans were parked to the right of it in a row.

A small group broke off, trying to get in the front while Ben systematically checked both of the two vans. No souls in either.

He jogged over to the car the rookie was starting up and peered in the back, seeing an old walkman. He ripped the headphones out before tossing it at Alex, who just barely caught it.

"Make yourself useful and give some words about the scene," Ben said. He walked away before the kid could say anything.

He knelt down beside a body near the previous team's van, noticing the large frame of a gun pinned beneath his body. He lifted him carefully, plucking the submachine gun from under the corpse and inspecting it. It looked firing ready, and a quick mag check showed it to be, for the most part, fully loaded and ready to go. Hell, the safety was still on, like he got killed with no warning whatsoever.

That was a pleasant thought.

He put his pistol back in his jacket and un-safetied the gun, putting it on full-auto. As he stood, he could've sworn that he saw something move past the vehicle. He aimed the weapon, darting between both sides of it.

"Contact!" He yelled. He quickly went around the right side, letting his hand rest his gun on the hood as he slid all the way over. Nothing was there.

Then, gunfire was heard, before it stopped and was replaced by a scream. Ben turned as there was more gunfire and a scream of someone else, until he saw someone stumble out of the room clutching their gut with an ever increasing amount of blood covering his stomach. But before he could be helped or fall to the ground, a black form charged him from behind, ripping into his head before darting to another in the blink of an eye. He wasn't paying attention to them or the noises of shotgun and pistol shots ringing out anymore though.

More were quickly coming from the surrounding forest, and Ben hightailed it back around to the passenger side of the van and ran to the end of them so he could secure their exit. However, as he passed the first van, something darted from between the two vehicles and grabbed Ben by the back of the neck, lifting him off the ground. He was spun around, meeting the dangerously close face of a no-eyed monster. Ben knew he was pissing himself now, but he didn't care about that. It roared in his face before letting him drop, but before he could even fall a centimeter, he was held back off the ground by the large blade and rope thing protruding from his chest.

He sobbed and screamed in pain, his right arm flailing wildly as he unknowingly held the trigger down. Bullets flew everywhere, but before the mag could be depleted or his life force expended, a single stray bullet caught the gas tank of one of the vans they took. Normally, it would've done nothing, but it was unbeknownst to Ben, or any of his team for that matter, that the loaded rounds were not normal rounds.

They were incendiary. Military-grade. Someone from the last team knew something, and they were packing just for it.

Ben's agony lasted for almost nothing as the blast and inferno knocked the rest of him out of commission.

* * *

My ears were ringing terribly, and my body ached something fierce. The wind was knocked out of me, and I coughed and sputtered into the grass as I remembered how to breathe. I sat up shakily, turning to my left and planting a hand on my shotgun as I tried getting up. However, I was quickly forced back to the ground as the black form crawled over me and got close to my face, examining me with interest. He had his hand on my chest to hold me down, but that didn't stop me from raising the already pumped gun to his head and pulling the trigger. My wrist flew and so did the gun, while I quickly pulled my unzipped coat well over my face with my left hand. I could feel the blood melt and burn into my hand while I shoved the creature off with my right.

It hurt like Hell, and I quickly tore my coat off and wiped my hand as best as I could with the clean bits before tossing it beside the body. I stood up, my hand still burning terribly as I picked up my gun with the other. I paid no mind to my aching wrist as I turned and looked about with a sense of urgency

All around was fire and death. A dead body of one of our team was next to me, his blood staining the grass beside and under me. I couldn't hear the screams and gunfire of everyone around me, but I knew it was there. One of the vans was on its side and decimated, while the other was quickly beginning to warm up, its paint getting burn marks around it. I couldn't see the muscle car between the two vans; Rookie must've drove off when the firing started.

I saw someone run into the garage and turn around, nearly closing the door before seeing me and waving me on, shouting something. I stumbled towards him, pumping out another exhausted shell and blasting the knee out of a form rushing to the door. The recoil against my shoulder was hard and aggravated the burn on it.

As I got up to the door, the guy wrapped his arm behind my back and pushed me back as he slammed the door shut. He locked it, slid the deadbolt left and down, and pushed the shelf back in front of the door. It had many thumps resonating from it, and it wouldn't be long at all until it came down or they found another way in.

Apparently there was another way in, because the other guy started running to the busted window in the back that I completely forgot about. Thankfully, there was another shelf for him to push in front of it, but it wouldn't last for long either.

I looked around frantically, unable to take the burning in my hand anymore, until I saw a sink and rushed to it. I turned it on cold and let it pour over my disfigured hand, the back of which burned red terribly. Part of it bled which ran down the sink, but for the most part, there was just a small chunk of missing flesh in my hand that didn't got to my bones, thank God.

It was kinda funny. I'm freezing to death but I can't take the heat in my hand. Beautiful.

My hearing must've been coming back, because I could barely hear the other person say, "Hey, you're Alex, right? I'm Jenson - you alright?" I looked back at him, realizing it was the guy the other guy we rode with. That made me smile a little, for whatever reason.

"When we leave, yeah," I said. I turned the water off and started walking to Jackson's room, my hand already heating up again.

He was still there, just as terrified as ever. Truly a gruesome mess, though the screeching and banging on the building kept me from focusing on that.

I lifted the shelf up off the ground, seeing many small trinkets and pictures busted and broken on the ground. I stepped over them, searching around his room for anything, anything at all. There were three whisky bottles on his table and a lighter beside an ashtray. I pocketed the lighter before moving it all - including the table - to the outside of his room's door, just to the side. I set the shotgun beside that as well.

"You got a plan?" He asked. I went back in.

"It's coming to me." I ripped his dresser drawer open and grabbed a black shirt before coming back out. "You know what a molotov is?"

"Yeah?" I tossed him the shirt and handed him my pocket knife, before going back in. "You wanna burn the place down?" I knelt down in front of the bed, carefully avoiding the blood on the mattress and the little bit that dripped on the floor.

"I think it was already beginning to burn in the first place, Jenson." My hand was searching under the bed as I spoke until I felt the handle of a box which, when I pulled it out, showed it to be a first aid kit. I got up and went to the table where Jenson was getting the knife open. "That's their weakness, and I don't think running from here's an option." I paused, before saying, "I got it."

"Hit me." I opened the box, snatching the gauze and wrapping my burned hand.

"I saw you searching the bodies. Don't suppose you found their keys?" He nodded and pulled them out.

"Yeah, but we can't go out there, it's suicide."

"So we gotta arm up and get ready to fight, and when it comes, we slip through them and get to the vans. We just gotta lower their numbers, right?" He didn't look to enthusiastic about the idea.

"That's the plan? Not gonna lie, it's a pretty shitty one."

"Of course it is, but we ain't got any other choices, do we?" Silence. "That's what I thought. Jenson, you wanna live, don't ya?"

"Of course I wanna fucking live, what kinda question is that?"

"Then you better gather every ounce of your strength, every ounce of your willpower, and get ready, because the two of us?" I pointed towards the barricades. "How the Hell do you fight that? They just wiped out everyone! We're not meant to survive this, but we're gonna, because we fought for it, and we earned it." The screeches just got significantly louder, something we both noticed. "We've already wasted too much time, you ready?"

"...We ain't got nothing better?" I shook my head solemnly. He looked down, swore something under his breath, looked back up, and said, "Alright, let's do this."

I loaded a few more shells into the gun, having fired four of them so far. As I did, I did a quick look about the garage, looking for anything of benefit. I spotted it in the back corner in what looked like a sort of welding area, which I ran towards.

"Good idea, kid. Here, I'll help you push 'em," He said, referring to an acetylene tank.

"Not that! If that goes, we all go!" I yelled. "The clothing - that shit's thick leather, maybe thick enough to hold back that acid blood they have long enough to protect us." They're were multiple sets of it, too, so Jenson and I both were well set.

I could hear sizzling, and I realized that they had begun to melt down the garage door. I grabbed the clothing, ran to a nearby workbench, and set the Walkman I had been carrying in my pocket on it while I dressed, hitting the record button.

* * *

" _My name… My name is Alex Danar,"_ It began, traces of static and animalistic noises in the background. An even louder roar was heard, and I swore I heard him wince. " _Oh, shit,"_ He breathed out. I started pacing around, holding the device in my hand as I did.

" _I'm with Jenson… What's your last name?"_

" _Clark."_

" _Jenson Clark, I'm with Jenson Clark at the mechanic shop where this will likely be found. We are the only survivors remaining, the rest are dead or dying."_

" _Shit, kid, stop talking and get your goddamn suit on!"_

" _Hold on!"_ He shouted. Movement and rustling could be heard as he talked, focusing more on whatever he was doing.

" _Xerxes,"_ He said, and I immediately turned back to the device. " _Xerxes, if your listening to this, please, don't come looking for me. I know I can't stop you, and you'll probably ignore me regardless, but I need you to understand something. The shit that I'm doing now and what I did yesterday to save you, that's been for you._

" _I don't know why I've been helping you or been with you so much in these past thirty something hours - maybe I pitied you and wanted to help or something. Maybe I've been feeling a little suicidal lately and just haven't given a damn whether I die tomorrow or today, I dunno."_

" _ALEX!"_

" _IT'S ALL FUCKING ON! JUST GIMME A MINUTE!"_ He roared back. He started again, talking a lot faster now. " _The more I look back, the more I can't help but wonder why the hell I stuck around, why I didn't do anything else that could've changed this path I've gone down…_

" _But I regret nothing - not a single thing - that has happened to us in this short time…"_ He sighed. " _I wish you were here, Xerxes, or better yet, I with you. You'd probably say something sappy like I am, but with fewer words or something. Maybe some alien proverb or something…_

" _I hope you never hear this, but if you do, leave. Never come back, and let all that I have done not be in vain, please."_ I could hear a loud crashing in the background, followed by even louder and more present screeches and roars.

" _Heads up!"_ Jenson yelled in the background, and I could hear Alex catching something.

" _I'm not gonna lie, I'm fucking terrified right now. I love you, X, I really do, I think. I'm sorry for putting you through the party last night and how we last talked, but just know that whatever happens…_

" _I tried…"_ There was a ' _click!'_ , and then it was over.

" _Alex?"_ I said pointlessly to the thing, " _Alex?!"_

I ran back outside, looking rapidly all around me.

" _ALEX!"_ I yelled as loud as I could.

Nothing.

 _Where could he be? Where can I find him?!_ I thought, but I already knew the answer. I considered, for only a fraction of a fraction of a second, of leaving forever, never to come back, but I wasn't, I couldn't.

I looked about one last time, seeing the fire lick at the building's walls now, the rain doing absolutely nothing against it.

" _I'm coming, Alex,"_ I said, before sprinting as fast and as hard as I could, reaching the tree line before the Walkman even hit the dirt.

* * *

' _Click!'_

It was done, and I felt like I had just signed away my life. I sighed, set the Walkman down, and wiped away the tears on my face.

Jenson saw me, saying, "You alright?"

I shook my head and walked, going over to the dead guy and gathering up his blood in the palm of my now gloved hand. I was fully covered, and even more so once I pulled down the welder's helmet over my face.

"Ah, man, he probably doesn't want you doing that, kid." I stood up and walked back to where I set the Walkman, before smearing my message on the wall behind it.

"And I don't want my friend coming here and getting himself killed, but this is about all I can settle for," I said as I painted. "You did grab his gun and anything useful off him, right?"

"Yes, now hurry up man, I think I can see a hole forming!" I did.

By the time I was done, I ran to Jenson and stood beside him, the two of us watching the garage door melt and bubble into nothing. The barricaded door was also melting, but nothing was happening at the window. Odd, but I wasn't going to it; they probably had some ambush set up outside of it.

The garage door had a fairly large hole now, but neither of us saw anything behind it. However, that all stopped when we heard a faint _thumping_ in the distance. The noise got louder and louder, and it wasn't long before I could feel the vibrations in the ground.

I looked at Jenson and mouthed the words, "What the Hell is that?" He looked back at me, nervously shrugged, and said nothing.

But then, we saw it. Through the hole in the door, down the lane of the road and past the burning wreckage, we saw it.

It was giant, maybe double the height of the normal creatures. The top of its skull was wider, and looked like it was meant to ram something, which was quickly confirmed once it started charging towards us.

The two of us started falling back from the garage door. "Get the mollys ready!" I yelled, and he ran back. I backed up to the side, keeping the gun aimed at the door. I could feel a bead of sweat going down my forehead, hidden by the mask, and I took a breath.

The door was nothing to the beast, bits of it exploding and tearing inwards as it slowed to a stop. It turned its head towards me as I aimed the gun, grinning as if he had already won. As a molotov flew towards him, he sidestepped, dodging the firebomb but allowing it to instead land at the doorway he created. One of them nearly went through, but jumped back in terror when the flames threatened to lick him.

I pulled the trigger, pumping a shot out as shells pelted his head. It did nothing but scrape, like metal on metal. I pumped and refired, hitting centermass where it stuck in his chest, but didn't bleed.

By then, he was already running towards us, and I had to dive out of the way just in time to avoid getting ran over. It made and attempt to grab me as it passed, but missed and continued towards Jenson, whom it grabbed as I chambered another shell.

I was about to run to him before I saw the horde pushing through the burning doorway, using the human fallen as a fire-blanket. I scrambled back up to a knee, aiming and firing another two shots as fast as I could pump and fire. Blood flew towards me, landing on the welding mask as two fell down. I grunted, stood up fully, and shot once more before turning towards Jenson and running.

I pumped another shell, having lost count at this point how many I've shot, before jumping on the table and landing on his back. I planted my foot fast and hard on one of the sharp spikes, before lifting the gun up to the back its neck and firing, pumping, firing, pumping, firing, pumping, _click!_

Blood flew out, and a lot of it, The beast had stopped moving by the third shot, and I fell back as it began to topple over. The wind was knocked out of me again as I fell on my back, but Jenson, who was still alive, came around and picked me up as he fired at the monsters.

"Get up!" He shouted. "Take off your helmet, it's gonna melt through!" He started firing again as I stood up shakily, tossing my helmet elsewhere and looking at my shotgun. The barrel was melted terribly, and so was my left glove until I tossed that too elsewhere. Jenson started to push forwards as I pulled out the revolver, the two of us firing into the breach until no more appeared through.

"Holy shit," He said, "We're still alive."

"It ain't over yet!" I yelled, checking my ammo count, only three remaining rounds. "C'mon!"

We went through the hole, looking around warily before running towards the vans. The bodies were gruesome, many having their insides torn out, large holes in their heads, or their throats destroyed beyond belief.

"Toss the keys, I'm driving," I said. He did. I ran around the side of the van and got in, slamming the door and turning the key. It stuttered, like it wanted to give out, and started shakily.

But before I could even put in reverse, the glass of my window shattered and sprayed me, my head being slammed back by a black hand. I could see claws going for my exposed throat, and I slammed my arm down on his, raising my gun in my right. He swatted it away, and next thing I knew, my door was collapsing and I was being shoved.

I toppled over onto the grass, rolling to my side before quickly standing up and backing away. I looked at the van, Jenson in the driver's seat and already backed up enough.

"Jenson!" I yelled, but he was already flooring it down the lane. I looked back at the alien, before sprinting as fast as I could to the van. "JENSON, GODDAMNIT, STOP THE VAN!" I nearly got close enough and jumped, missing the back bumper or anything at all I could grab on, before rolling and spinning to a stop, seeing the red tail lights continue down the distance as I laid on the ground. I got up and spun back around, seeing the now multiple aliens looking at me with interest.

"Oh, shit," I breathed out, "Oh, fuck." They were everywhere, all down the lane to the garage, I took a quick glance over my shoulder and saw none behind me, like they were inviting me to run. But we all knew I couldn't outrun them forever.

Rage, fear, despair - The wombo-combo that was beating the ever living shit out of me. What could I even do? Jenson _fucked_ me. I hoped he crashed and is burning alive. They were getting closer by the second.

I had no plan, but I did. By God was it a bad one, too, worse than the one I had earlier.

I ran _towards_ them.

I went full sprint as fast as I could down the lane, dodging between them. As I did, I was keeping as many of them in check as I could, forcing their bodies against them and holding them back one at a time. My brain hurt, somewhere between a headache and migraine forming as I ran. Blood was already going down to my lip.

It wasn't long before I was back to the burning wreckage. I didn't slow down until I saw a body beside the only van left in one piece. When I saw him and the gun he had in his hands, I stopped dead in my tracks and tried to make it a quick grab.

But I had misjudged the scene, missing the shape of a creature as it darted around the side of the van in silence, coming up on my left and slashing upwards at my face. I had no time to even react, flying backwards and landing a small distance away from the garage door. Pain burned up the left side of my neck, my face actually being relatively unscathed. But when my hands reached my neck, I could feel just how bad it was, and when I sat up, I could see blood.

So much blood… _Jesus…_ There's so much blood.

Blood was dripping down on my jacket, going over the bloodstains of the fallen and into the bloodstains of the enemy. A small amount was visibly spraying out at my every heartbeat. Even as I forced my hands to the point of choking me on it, it still bled heavily.

"Not like this!" I heaved, rapidly crawling backwards to the garage in terror and clutching my neck. I could feel myself getting weaker, somehow even more cold than I had already been. I scrambled up, backing up as I retreated into the building. I tripped backwards on the body still in the gap, landing flat on my ass on the unforgiving concrete and crawling away again.

My hand landed on a wrench on the ground, the same one I used two nights ago in my last fight here. The idea of fight renewed a spark in me, one that made me clutch the wrench and force myself up. I stumbled as I turned around, just barely catching myself, saying, "Come on, come on!" under my breath. I pushed myself back up and into the only place I could go: Jackson's room.

They were all walking now, no longer running at me but savoring the kill. This I saw as I nearly collapsed into the room, slamming the door shut and weakly getting it latched. The banging once again started. Thank God Jackson had those thick, metal work doors or whatever.

Poor guy, never even got a decent burial. He was decaying - you could smell the rotting meat. I would've gagged if I wasn't literally dying.

I backed away and started looking about the room one more time. I pulled out a shirt from his dresser, which I ripped in half and folded as tightly as possible. I looked up and down the once fallen shelf, before finding what I needed on the floor beside it. I picked up the roll of duct tape and peeled out a large strip as best as I could with slippery fingers, before taping the shirt to my neck, followed by more tape going around my neck entirely. Breathing became harder, but I wasn't bleeding as bad anymore, and that's all that matters.

That door was really starting to budge. Wasn't long now, maybe half than a minute, more if I'm lucky.

I wiped my nose and grabbed the wrench I had to set down while bandaging up, gripping it until my knuckles turned white. No longer was this an escape attempt - it was a last stand. And this time, I didn't have Xerxes or the cops coming.

"Come on! You want a hunt?! You want a fight?! WELL YOU FUCKING GOT ONE!" I yelled. I tried to get myself pumped up, and it was sort of working.

I took a step towards the door, before slipping on blood - mine or Jackson's, I didn't know - and landing on my side, my head hitting the floor. I didn't pass out, but the added pain was certainly there.

I couldn't help but wonder if that's what it was gonna feel like to die - lying cold in a pool of blood like that. However, where I landed allowed me to look under Jackson and his bed, knocking me out of my thoughts when I saw a large crate taking up most of the space in the far back near the wall. There was a rope connected to it that led just an arms length away from reaching out from underneath.

"What…?" I said. I put the wrench in my pocket as I crawled to it, gripping my neck tightly as my arm reached further in. I was just barely able to grab it, slowly pulling it out. I got my back up against the bed, not really caring about the blood, and peeled off the small tarp covering the top.

"No fuckin' way…" I breathed out, barely audible. I looked back at the door, the poor chained dead-bolt about to give away any moment. I reached in the box as my breathing quickened in excitement, pulling out the large assault-rifle. I don't remember the name of it, but I knew it was Russian made. Goddamn was Jackson packing.

The door made a horrible screeching noise, and I quickly reached in and slammed the magazine in. I looked for whatever I needed to chamber the round as I carefully stood up, the door falling down just before I was able to find it. It made an amazing ' _cha-chink!'_ when I released it, and a small grin formed on my face.

I got the stock up to my shoulder and fired, dodging to the left behind the shelf to avoid the acid blood and toppling body. I started to yell at some point, never releasing the trigger and having to dodge back to the right and step on the bleeding body to avoid being ran into by a second, before they too fell. I slid down to a knee on the right wall as a third one came in, the second flew against the shelf and tipped it back forwards where it stopped just above my head. Three made an attempt to grab for me and slam the shelf back up, but he was slow, and I rolled to the left on my stomach further beneath the shelf as his body hit the ground.

No more were coming in, and I was gasping for breath. I carefully put the shelf back up and stood up, watching where I stepped as I grabbed the additional mags, stuffing a mag in both my front pockets and replacing the spent one. A quick chamber check and additional layer of bandage on my neck later, and I was stepping back out in the main room.

I looked around frantically, before turning around and seeing one jump at me from the roof of Jackson's room, a large gap between his room's ceiling and the building's ceiling. I couldn't bring the gun up fast enough, the alien landing on me and knocking the gun from my hands. He was quick to try and finish the job, getting up to my face and nearly jabbing a hole in my face with that tiny lil' fucker in his mouth. I grabbed him by the neck as I pulled the wrench out with my left, making him take it as I swung the wrench into his head and knocked him off.

He did nothing, falling to the ground as I groaned and got up. I walked around him and hooked him by the neck with my arm, dragging him to the wall to Jackson's room where I slammed him into. He did nothing but make a noise like a whimper, and I almost came close to not swinging that wrench like a baseball bat into his head against the wall.

 _Almost._ Now I was missing both gloves _and_ a wrench.

I grabbed the rifle and darted to the twisted garage door, muttering, "Come on, come on." But right as I made it to the gap, another came around the corner. I cursed and doubled back, seeing the window barricade topple with ease and another two come in. I cursed again, turning back around near Jackson's room and the massive body and firing.

Two semi-quick shots in the one in front of me, kneecaps. He falls as I turn to the right, shooting at the pair and hitting the one to the right, who came to a knee fairly close. The left one of the pair tried tackling me, but I dove to the right and faltered her step. She flew past me as I got up and rammed the stock of my rifle into the wounded one's head. They flew backwards, and I saw just how much damage I did to him; five holes in his chest, abdomen, and neck. He'd be gone soon enough.

The one whose knees I blew out was crawling here now at a fairly rapid speed, but they stopped entirely when I fired four more into their head. The one who dove past me was already up, screeched or roared in rage, and ran to me. Only five more shots came out, only some hitting her but not killing her. ' _Click! Click!'_

"Oh, shit." I started backpedaling as I knocked the magazine out, replaced it, and rechambered it. Right as I brought it up to aim, just before I was going to pull the trigger, she was on me. The gun was ripped from my hands tossed well across the room. But before she tossed it, she slammed it across my head twice and made it hard to concentrate. She shoved me hard and I fell, her tail shooting around my left leg tightly. The tip of it was near my thigh, and any attempt at forcing their bodies against them was blinded by pain as it drove in. It was slow, twisting as it dug deeper. By then, she was back on me, pressing her weight on my pelvis and holding me down. Blood ran down her body, threatening me as it got closer.

She pressed her claws around my bandaged neck, slightly peeling it away before stopping. She gathered her saliva in her hands, morphing it into what I quickly realized to be what Xerxes put on me.

The bandages.

I squirmed and made her focus dissipate, before she drove the blade in deeper. I groaned with pain and terror, my fear spiking at the thought of having that shit healing me again, infecting me like a virus. I struggled and looked around quickly, the blade going in deeper and faster. But as this fear and pain kept growing, I could feel something forming in the center of my mind. It was quick, and I screamed in even further agony as what I could only describe as a shockwave came from me. The creature on my front was dead, and I could've sworn I saw the severely injured one of the pair still crawling around in my peripheral before whatever happened. A body fell dead from the roof of Jackson's room, the roof of the actual building much higher and creating a gap between roofs. The sight startled me, and I realized that another was still up there and ready to pounce.

My head throbbed, and I felt like puking. I moaned in pain as I crawled out of the grip and tail and got up slowly, blood flowing from my leg. I grabbed my rifle and just wrapped a bunch of duct tape around my pant leg, before replacing the loaded mag and pocketing the last one left. I was breathing hard as I walked to the garage door, a limp very visible in my step.

Outside was the same shit; dead bodies, fire, _fucking rain._ It didn't matter, and I stepped out while checking all around me. I limped my way to my revolver that I lost, gritting my teeth as I got low and placed it back in my waistband.

But these masters of stealth were already surrounding me, coming from around the corner of the building, off the tall roof, and just a few out of the woods. They sure did like this whole 'bait-and-retreat' method.

I fired at one as I dove under the nearby, final functioning van. I tried crawling under to be closer with where the muscle car was earlier, but my arm was grabbed from the other side and I was ripped the rest of the way out. A small rock the size of my hand was sticking out of the grassy mud, and I gripped onto it and pulled it with me.

I was stood up with my left arm being pinned against the vehicle, the rifle held firmly in the immobile limb. But my right was armed, and I slammed the hard earth down on their arm hard enough to create a painful ' _snap!'_ , before coming back and hitting them in their dome where they had to get away from me. They acted like they were gonna fall, but I was gone the second they let go. I tossed the rock at them when I started moving, my final glance of them being a large crack in their skull.

I hopped between the two burning wrecks quickly, my foot landing awkwardly with the pain in my thigh. I wasn't fully out yet, and I placed my right hand on the scolding rear bumper to keep my balance. Though I'm numb to the heat, I'm not to pain, and I made a noise between a hiss and cry as it fueled my strength. I stumbled out and scooped some mud in my blistering red hand, sighing for once at the coolness on my skin. Infection be damned; the hole in my hand was the least of my problems now.

I was on the edge of the woods now, and I risked looking back before I entered. Some acted like they wanted to just vault the burning vehicles, but none did. I think I could see some of them already past the one I crawled under, some jumping over it and shooting towards me. I aimed the rifle, the weapon visibly shaking with my freezing hands, and fired. The recoil wasn't an issue, it was keeping the rifle steady in unsteady hands. Somewhere north of ten rounds came out, and out of the three targets I hit, only one fell. I didn't even bother counting how many were still coming, and I started booking it through the forest.

I swear to God, I was passing dozens of them as I ran, like the shape of them was just barely being caught in the corners of my eyes. My finger was ready on the trigger.

Another glance behind and I immediately regretted it, seeing them less than ten yards away if I were to estimate. They made little noise, and it was confusing to hear nothing and see them be so close. I didn't question it, however, and just kept running.

There was a small hill up ahead, which I put everything in to get to. However, when I reached the peak it became apparent that this was no small hill, but the edge to a steep slope. I was is no way prepared for this and flew off, screaming, "Shit!" at the surprise. I wasn't in the air for long, and my back quickly collided with the slope. I was in the process of trying to right my feet and legs for landing, and I ended up pushing off on accident when I did finally connect. Something happened, and my knee exploded in pain. I kept rolling and tumbling the rest of the way down, and it was when I finally rolled to a stop at the bottom that I realized that I had no idea where I was going. _Doesn't matter,_ I thought.

I was covered in mud and scrapes from the fall, but was devoid of anything serious minus what I already have. Talk about luck.

Well, that's what I thought at first, but it quickly vanished when I tried getting up only to fall back down in pain. I looked down at my legs, now realizing my previous assessment was wrong. Along with the painful gash in my thigh, I now had something up with my right leg at the knee. I tried moving it below the knee, and I cried out in agony as I did. When it subsided, I moaned in pain and disgust.

"No…" I tried moving it again, grunted in an attempt to suppress the scream of pain, and yelled, "No!" I think I shattered my kneecap.

In fewer words, _I'm fucked._

I looked around me, seeing that getting out of this pit wouldn't be hard since everywhere but the way I came gently went up instead of the steep wall I fell down. But what I was looking for was the rifle, which was further away than I fell. It wasn't far, but everything was far as I pulled myself closer to it. At least the fistfulls of mud cooled my hand down.

I heard a noise, a set of noises, and when I looked back at the slope I came down, I saw the horde still following me. They slid down the hill with ease, not a single one tripping up like I did. I grunted and fought through the pain, screwing my knee up even further I'm willing to bet.

It was right there, and when I grabbed the rifle, I really doubted it would fire again. It was coated in mud and barrel was probably jammed full of it.

But that didn't stop me from rolling onto my back pulling the trigger. Surprisingly, it fired, and I had a great appreciation for the Russians now. And Jackson, God rest his soul.

I think I saw four of them after me now, and one was already dead before the others dove behind the trees. The mag ran out then, as well, and when I looked for my spares, I found that I lost one of them. It could be anywhere between the shop and here, so it might as well be in another dimension.

"Fuck," I muttered, jamming the mag in place and tossing the spent one at one of the trees they were behind. "C'mon! Finish the job, you pussies!" I was slowly crawling back, trying to get as much distance as possible.

As I did, I felt my neck, the bandage completely soaked and now leaking down my neck. It hurt, and I forced myself not to think about it.

Not to think about the fact that I'm going to bleed out.

In the woods.

Freezing.

 _Alone…_

I wanted so desperately to call for Xerxes, but I knew he wasn't coming. Not this time. He wouldn't be coming to save me like he did those other times.

 _It's kinda funny how much of fuck-up of a life I've had. I was tortured the moment I was born, or pretty close at least, by father who's a psychopath while my mother stood beside and drank her wine. Now she's a full time drunk plus her job, since she doesn't have Frank to worry about anymore. I've joined an 'organization' - they like to say, but really it's just an over glorified gang of car thieves and racers - and have stolen and even gotten into small races - which I won, by the by - for the last two years. My first - and last - time was with an alien. And to sum it all up, I'm gonna die at the ripe age of seventeen, in the middle of the woods, clutching an AK-47 (That's the name!), and likely very violently by the brothers and sisters of the one I'm in love with._

I hate myself for the way we last talked.

 _Xerxes can never find me. Hell, I don't think he will - There'll probably be nothing left! At the most, I'd probably look like Jackson. Though I think I deserve a little more than that after the shit I've caused them…_

 _Did I do something in a past life to deserve this? Was I a 'Frank' once upon a time?_

I stopped thinking and focused when I caught a shape in the corner of my eye to the left darting between trees. I fired. I know I hit them, spotting the green blood shoot out and start smoking on a tree, but they kept on moving and dove to a tree relatively close to me. I couldn't see them at all, and I knew this was a losing battle.

I looked back to the right, panicking and unloading at least half of the magazine into the creature bum rushing me. Their body collapsed and rolled towards me, and I rolled to the left to avoid it. It was agony on my leg, though.

When I stopped moving, I could actually see a portion of the alien who I shot earlier behind the tree. I brought the stock up carefully and did my best to keep it steady, but in my focus, I overlooked one important fact.

Where was the fourth one?

I was given an answer when the rifle was kicked out of my hands. Horror spread on my face as I saw them, a large dent in their skull. The other one came up to me, bleeding a good amount from the side of their stomach. It made me smile in a sick way.

Dent, who I so lovingly named, placed his foot on my knee and pressed down. I cried out in an insane mixture of pain and laughter. _I guess I deserve it!_ I thought, and embraced the madness.

Dent pressed down even harder, and I only shouted in agony for just a moment before resuming my laughter.

But it was as I laughed that I revealed my sinister intentions, grabbing my revolver in a quick motion and firing the last three rounds. Two went into the neck and head of Dent, who was already falling backwards when I put the final one in the chest of the wounded one. He was on me in an instant, grabbing me painfully by the neck and knocking my lights out with a powerful punch.

I never let go of the gun.

* * *

My heart was breaking with every step that I took.

If Alex isn't dead yet, he's gonna wish he is. _Not unless I get to him._

I just had to get there before he was implanted, please, just let me get there.

I can't let them kill him.

I can't let him die.

I can't let him.

I can't…

I…

…I stopped thinking and just ran.

At some point, I knew I was getting closer to where I needed to go. I felt a connection - a link - being established, but it wasn't Alex. They said two words, two simple words, and I realized how close I was to the entrance leading to Hell.

" _Hello, Xerxes,"_ Said The Queen.

 **Thanks go to Incurser for trudging through this marathon of a chapter and beta-reading it. Should I keep doing long chapters like this or not? Lemme know in the comments.**

 **A little note from incurser: Say yes! I honestly don't mind. I quite enjoy it. :p**

 **Well damn, you heard the man. Say yes! Plus, it makes me smile every time I get a comment notification.**

 **Final note - go read some of Incurser's stuff okaythanksbye.**


	8. Chapter 8: The Night We Met Part 1

**Take a warning and know that this won't be a happy chapter, nor SFW. You have been warned.**

Chapter 8: The Night We Met - Part 1

Frank's anger became apparent a little less than a month after my recovery. Apparently he had some business of some type with the police, but when they found out about what he did to me, that stopped. None of them would work with a child beater.

It took them a long time to get a full staff again.

And the dogs, well, they were K-9 units. Guy spared no expense on me.

Thanks, dick.

I was silent for a long time after the recovery, barely speaking to anyone and only using basic hand gestures and such. People thought I was mute sometimes. It kinda made me laugh.

During the summer when I turned fourteen, I got a job doing dishes at an Italian Restaurant, Non Ti Pago. Simple and easy, though the pay was terrible. Didn't matter in my eyes, it kept me busy and safe. By the time I had worked there for two years and a little over a month, I was earning a little more.

But the real cherry on the top was that Luca, the owner / chef let me order whatever I wanted at the end of the day for free since they always had some extra supplies. A full stomach every day before bed was something generally unknown to me, and the food was always good.

The moment he started feeding me was the moment that I started working all the time, day to night, and with dedication. I did my homework at school and even stopped dropping off my backpack at the house just so I could do it on break and avoid the place entirely. It was a mutual relationship between me and work; I work hard and as much as I can, and I get food and some peace and quiet.

I remember using a good chunk of my paycheck to stay at a hotel during the weekends, the manager being a kind lady that would always let me stay because everyone knew Frank now. I'd order a pizza, watch movies and shows, take a bath or shower for hours, sleep in a bed and be relaxed at the same time. I was able to go swimming for the first time in my life - granted, I nearly drowned twice, but I figured it out quickly.

God, I miss that job…

At the end of the week, we always had a flood of customers. Every Friday and Saturday since just about the start had me assigned to bringing out the food and bussing tables. Boss said I'd get to keep the tips and get a small bonus for the week, so I was more than willing. I even got to stay late and finish dishes for overtime.

Okay, maybe the pay wasn't all that terrible.

I was moving like a bat out of hell, keeping ahead of the cooks and making sure I was as quick, efficient, and kind as possible. I was already thinking of what I could do with the money, maybe hit Radio Shack and piece something together - don't know what, but I'd figure it out.

I was still bringing food out to the final few people left, the place closing in a little more than half an hour. As I served the two plates and walked off, I saw a group of four walk in. Three were some mobster-looking guys wearing suits and ties, while the fourth was a kid no more than a year older than me wearing a light blue button up.

I intentionally overlooked the mobster bit and thought more on how good a tip they would give if they could afford such nice suits. I practically ran to them.

"Ah, I see you gentlemen have good taste coming here," I started, "Where can I seat you?"

The one in front, a tall fellow just a tinge overweight with black hair, pointed to a booth in the back corner. "There will be fine."

I grabbed some menus and sat them. I got their drinks - two whiskeys, a wine, and a coke - and set them down. I could see the kid staring at me from the corner of my vision, a familiar look of fear in his eyes with a hint of pleading all said with no words.

Something was wrong, and I noticed how disheveled the overweight guy was - his jacket wrinkled all around his shoulders and his shirt's button torn out from where it once was. He and the kid were boxed in by the other two, and I started to feel uneasy.

"Do we know what we want?"

The overweight man looked like he was going to speak, but was cut off by the one sitting beside him who said, "No, no, not yet."

I nodded, a slight hesitation present, and said, "Alright, I'll be back in a moment."

I went back to the kitchen and jogged over to Luca. "Hey, keep an eye on the corner booth. I think something's up."

He looked up and stopped cutting the strands of asparagus on his table. "Like what?"

"Like two people are being held hostage. Probably at gunpoint - I'm thinking gang business." It certainly wasn't unheard of - gang business, that is. It just didn't bleed into here, _that_ was unheard of.

"Shit." He went up to the doors to the dining room, peering through the small window. "I thought we had a goddamn agreement," He breathed. "Alright, I'm calling the cops. Keep serving them - we don't need them suspecting us. Can you do that?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I can do it."

He smiled. "I knew you could. I appreciate it."

I served another table before coming back to the booth.

"Have we come to a decision?"

The man boxing in the overweight man stared at him for a couple seconds, before turning to me and saying, "I don't think any of us can really make up our minds. What would you recommend?"

"The capellini's pretty good, though the orecchiette is easily my favorite."

"Yeah, we'll have four of those."

"Alright, then." I returned their menus and gave the order to the kitchen. When I headed back out, I saw the three older men arguing. I did a quick glance around and, figuring that everyone was fine for now, ducked into the bathroom to calm down.

Something told me that the police weren't going to be the fastest getting here, and I feared these guys would be gone before they arrived. They never were fast around here, even before Frank wiped out half the station and no-one wanted to join, and with it being a Friday night, they were probably spread thin.

What I'm trying to say is, I was pretty fucking scared and needed to cool it a tad.

I stared myself down in the mirror, focusing on my breathing. _Come on, Alex,_ I thought, _You've been through so much worse than a potential gun fight. Man the fuck up, shut your brain down, and head out there, dammit!_

I washed my face with cold water to wake up and get alert, before drying off and giving myself one last look. It was acceptable. _Let's do this._

I made to leave, but right as I was about to open the door, it opened on its own. Behind it, to my horror, was one of the guys - the one that was beside the kid. My step skidded at the sight, and I suppressed the urge to step back, instead excusing myself and trying to push past.

He didn't say anything, just roughly grabbing me by the shoulder and shoving me back in, the door closing behind me. I was back by the sinks, grabbing the side to balance myself from falling.

"Sir! What are-?" He pulled out a pistol, the barrel looking me in the eye. I tensed up and muttered, more to myself than him, "Son of a bitch."

"It's not personal, kid. It's just one of those things that needs taken care of, y'know?"

"C-C'mon, I know the prices here are murder but this is ridiculous, man."

Bad time for humor, and dark humor at that, but he smiled, saying, "Well, I hope you can-"

The sound of a gunshot and subsequent screams rang out. He looked towards the door in surprise, and I took this moment to bum rush him. I yelled as I grabbed his gun, slamming it down onto the sink counter. It flew from his hands and landed with a clatter elsewhere.

He kicked me in the back of the leg, and I dropped to a knee as he ripped his arm free and grabbed me by the back of my hair. He reared me back to slam my head on the counter, and I slammed my elbow in his gut before he could do it. I reached up, grabbed him by his collar, and yanked him down, the side of his head hitting the counter before collapsing onto the ground beside me.

I crawled away quickly, seeing him reach up to his now bleeding temple slowly. I was relieved - I thought I had killed him. I looked around on the ground for the gun, seeing it in the last stall, and proceeded to get up and shoulder check the door open. I picked it up, quickly getting back out and training it on the guy as he slowly got up.

"goddamnit, kid," He said. He walked slowly towards me, reaching out for the gun. "Just give it here. You won, I ain't gonna do anything to ya." He was barely two feet away now, still going slow, until he decided to jump for the gun.

I pulled the trigger rapidly three times before I realized what I had done. His body had spasmed as he took a step back, before falling on the tile floor. Two holes were in his stomach, one in his chest, and all three staining and ruining his suit at an alarming rate.

My heart was pumping furiously, I was sweating pools, and I could barely catch my breath. I felt ready to puke the more I looked at him, and I somehow managed to suppress it.

I felt proud of myself in a sick kind of way. I was able to bite the bullet - that dark fucking humor again - and kill to save myself. It hurt, but at least I could hurt with some guts.

When I finally looked away, I noticed that the door was open, the younger of the four peeking in.

"Oh, shit," He breathed, stepping in and slowly closing the door. I saw his eyes dip towards my name tag. "What's that say - Alex? You alright, Alex?"

I shook my head, laying my hand on the gun and the gun on the counter as I said, "Who the hell are these guys?"

"Bad guys. Listen, I need you to give me that gun, I need to help my dad out there."

I wanted nothing more than to get rid of it, but I didn't want to get myself killed with it either. Still, the enemy of my enemy and all that.

"Y'ain't gonna shoot me if I do, are you?" He scoffed.

"Dude, I was coming back here to warn you, but obviously you got it handled. Now c'mon, hurry."

I believed him, and I slowly walked around the body and handed it to him. "Thank you."

Two more shots rang out, and we hurried back out to the dining room. It was deserted, minus the overweight man and the guy behind him pressing a gun to his temple and using him as a shield. A few tables and chairs were knocked over, and there had to be a few bullet holes somewhere, but that was it.

The young one aimed the gun at them, shouting, "We don't even deal in the same market! What do you get out of our deaths?!"

The hostage taker said, "Your piece of shit car's brakes went out! Got into a pile-up on the I-75, and it didn't take people too goddamn long before they realized the snow coming from the trunk wasn't snow!" He took a deep breath after all that exposition, before continuing, "Your goddamn car ruined our routes! The driver survived and blabbed - but _you_ ," He emphasized by waving the gun in our direction, "Ruined us!"

"We deal in cars, not drivers! I'm sorry yours wasn't up to snuff!" The father said.

The guy growled in frustration, and before he was able to say anything, the doors to the dining room burst open, Luca coming out in a determined speed.

"Let the waiter-!"

And he was struck down with no remorse by a shot to the head. He went down like a sack of potatoes, and his assailant said something that I didn't hear. I ran over to him, hearing the others start fighting again and another two shots, but I didn't care. I got down by his body, a small hole replacing where his right eye's tear duct was, and screamed his name.

The man who had given me a job and fed me out of pity was dead - and it fucking hurt. Not many people cared to breathe the same air I did since the police station, but he did, and he made everyone else in the back, too.

The nausea was gone - replaced by a slight numb feeling.

I wiped my eyes with my sleeves and looked at the father and son, not wanting to acknowledge the body between them. The kid was busy wiping down his table with a cloth, while the other was lighting a cigar with a match. I could hear a car pull up outside, honking twice.

"Good, he got our message. Let's skedaddle," the father said, blowing smoke.

"Hey," the young one said, "We need to take him with us."

"What?" He picked up the pistol and aimed it at my head, but I didn't tense up this time.. "You didn't tell him your name, did you?"

"No, but he shot Greene. Maybe lower the frickin' gun, he's been through a lot."

"No shit?" He said with genuine surprise, lowering the gun. "Good job, son, you managed to kill a cartel's hitman. And you ain't even injured, are ya?" I shook my head slowly. He took another drag. "Tell ya what, here's…," He reached in his jacket and started counting bills before handing a thick stack, "One grand for the trouble, and two because you played a big part in saving our asses."

He waved it in my face to try and get me to grab it. "C'mon, three K, easy money, and no strings attached. Take it."

I reached forward and hesitantly grabbed it, flicking through it without counting and sticking it down my sock.

"Good, let's go." He turned around and started walking.

"I'm Tony Carelli and he's Roberto Carelli," The young one blurted out.

"F-fuck, I didn't want to know that," I said. I could feel the color drain from me, what was left, anyway.

"Neither did I," Roberto said, turning back around and aiming the gun at my head again. He looked back to the other. "Really, Tony, what the fuck?"

"Now how about you don't shoot him and we do what I originally suggested - we take him with us."

"You don't get to make that call! Why the hell does it matter so much to you that we bring him along anyways?"

"He's Frank's kid, and he's got a fire in him that might be useful to us."

"goddamnit," Roberto grumbled, turning back to me. "Alright, I don't want to shoot you, but because my fucking son decided to gamble your life by saying our names, we're at a bit of an impass."

"Join or die?" I asked. He nodded.

"Join or die."

"I don't much care for dyin', but what exactly am I joining?" He lowered and holstered his gun in his jacket.

"Car thieves, chop shops, import and exporting - mostly exporting - cars around the world. C'mon, get up off your knees, boy," He said, offering me his hand, "We'll figure out something for you. But we need to go before it gets too hot here."

I looked back down at Luca's still body, my eyes tearing up but not overflowing. I turned my head back to the duo, pissed at the position Tony put me in, and deciding I had no other choice, I took Roberto's hand.

* * *

When I heard her voice, it was as glorious as it was terrifying. My instincts told me she was good - that I should protect her and love her because she will protect me and love me and all will be good. If I am good to her then she will be good to me, as will the rest of the hive.

I knew better, and unlike most of my brothers and sisters, I could suppress my instincts.

I made sure they had little presence in my mind.

" _You know why I am here, right?"_ I said. She made a small chuckle.

" _Not even a greeting?"_ She said, " _I thought I raised you better than that, Xerxes."_

" _Kaia, where is Alex?"_ I looked around where I was. Nothing but trees, mud, and rain.

She sighed. " _Down a slope a little ways in the trees going right if you were facing that building."_ She quickly added, " _You know, the one where you murdered one of your sisters, Xerxes."_

" _Do not say my name,"_ I spat, and followed her directions while sprinting. I passed the slope she was talking about earlier, though I doubted Alex went down it at the time. Guess he did.

" _He will be severely injured when you get to him, though nothing undeserved or life-ending."_

" _Kaia, so help me-"_ I started loudly.

But she cut me off, saying, " _The more you threaten my life, the more you threaten his. Be grateful and bandage him, he's close."_

Something told me she didn't mean distance, and I could feel the anxiety and fear welling up in my chest, ready to burst like a newborn.

" _It doesn't work like that, Kaia! It's a poison to him!"_ I heard her scoff.

" _Make it work,"_ She growled, and blocked the connection.

I could see the bodies as I slid down the slope, ravaged by bullets. I could see that the ground was deformed as if someone crawled, losing a lot of blood. I didn't need to follow it though, I saw the one I was looking for.

I ran up to them, and it was a mess. One was on their back with a bullet in their neck and head. Even a small crack in their skull.

The other had been shot in the stomach and chest, the stomach of which was bleeding heavily. He was still breathing, though strained and barely alive. The ground smoked terribly around him, more green than black now on him.

But the only one I was concerned about was the third body. He was the worst of them all. His neck was bleeding heavily, his thigh was just barely second in bleeding, and his hands were both burned - each by different things it appeared. His knee looked disfigured, and he had a welt forming on his forehead. His pants were torn, and his jacket was barely even tatters that had been ripped and melted to nothing. Even his shirt underneath was destroyed and littered with holes that showed small burns.

I got down on my knees beside him. " _Bandage him, then come to me with him,"_ I heard.

I gently peeled away the bandage on his neck, which was waterlogged with blood and oozing at the slightest touch.

" _Bring him back? Go to Hell! I'm taking him and I'm leaving, Kaia!"_ I roared. I slipped my arms underneath him, and he yelled in pain when I lifted. I set him back down quickly, groans and whimpers coming from him. I was already coated in his blood in that small moment. How he wasn't dead was amazing.

" _If you leave, he's going to bleed out before you can bandage him. We will find you, and finish you then. Bandage him now and wait, more are coming your way and will escort you back home when you're done, Xerxes."_ The word _home_ made me nauseous when she spoke about the hive.

I can't go back.

Neither of us can go there.

And neither of us _will_.

" _I… I… Oh, please…"_ I solemnly said. I had my tail blade at the back of his neck, ready for its job. " _Please…"_ I just had to push it in.

A quick movement.

Just do _it._

Push.

It.

In.

Now.

Please…

…

I felt his face gently with the palm of my hand, taking in every detail, before screeching into the rain above. When it was nothing more than a small and hoarse noise, I slammed my fist into the ground and started to make bandages.

 _I can't do it._

" _I'm so, so sorry, Alex,"_ I whispered.

My heart physically hurt as I made the bandages. His gun was still in his hand, held on by a death grip. I gently touched his hand and his face, grabbing the gun when his grip was weak and stuffing it in his pants, but not before loading in a fresh clip - just in case.

I hoped against everything that he could survive this. I couldn't drain them again this time, it was on too many vital areas.

Even with how fast I was going, Kaia kept true to her word. By the time I was done, I was surrounded by them. One was standing over the half-dead body beside me.

" _Why did you not bandage him?"_ He said.

The other weakly looked at the one talking. " _I could not form a bandage and set it without killing him with my blood. I could not drag him back either, because I would have surely died before we made it far if he was not burned to death by my trail."_ The one standing shook his head.

" _Pathetic,"_ He said, " _We have dealt with their kind before, and just one manages to kill twenty of us in two cycles!"_ He roared, before walking away. The one on the ground just looked away, before turning back to the sky. He said nothing.

The other one said to me, " _Grab him and follow us."_ I growled softly and got up.

" _Why should I? Is it worse to die here or there? Maybe I should take my chances,"_ I threatened.

The others got defensive, while he said, " _You will die here and he will be implanted, but if you come with us like a good drone, then maybe other things will be planned for you."_

" _I don't believe you."_

" _I am not asking you to. I am asking you to not do something stupid."_ He waved around at the others surrounding us. " _Odds are stacked against you, Xerxes. Come with us and you both have our word that we will not harm you."_

" _He speaks the truth, Xerxes,"_ Kaia said. " _I do not intend on killing you two. Come to me, and I will explain, I promise."_ I looked down and shook my head, unable to believe what I was about to do. I would've died rather than go back, but if I can't kill Alex quickly, then I don't deserve to die quickly.

" _Please,"_ He said once more. I looked up and barely nodded, before picking up Alex as gently as I could and standing up.

" _Lead the way,"_ I said in a whisper.

We were gone in moments, leaving behind all of the bodies - even the live one.

* * *

We were all running quickly by human standards, but it was hardly a jog to us. I kept Alex steady against me, until I heard him softly groan.

He breathed out weakly against my chest, "Xerxes…? Am I…dead?"

" _No, you're still here. I'm with you."_

"Where… Where are we going?"

" _Your truck,"_ I lied. We said nothing more for a moment, and I don't know if he bought it. He never moved his head.

"How bad does it look?" I shook my head just slightly.

" _Not as bad as you think,"_ I said. " _You're going to live."_ It hurt to say that - I didn't know whether him being alive still was good or not.

He laughed gently, before coughing a little. "I sure put up… Quite the fight, huh?" I could hear some of the others growl, but he must've not heard it.

I smiled softly. " _Yeah, you did."_

"How'd you find me?"

" _I found your message and followed the trail."_

"The trail…?"

"… _Of bodies and blood."_

We didn't speak for a while, and we kept running. Every jostle and jolt scared me, and I tried to keep him as still as possible.

"I'm sorry for how we last talked, man," He said. His voice was still hoarse, but spoke a little better. I thought he had fallen back asleep.

" _Please, Alex…"_

"I fucked up. I was going to be dead if it weren't for you. I just thought I could save our asses on both ends."

" _It's not your fault, I'm the one that got you into this, not you."_

"I don't regret any of it at all. But I shouldn't have been that way, it was shitty of me." He took a shaky breath. "I don't think I deserved you in my life, Xerxes."

" _We're going to my hive."_ The words were out before I even knew what I was saying.

"I know," He said. " _Can I trust you?"_ He added mentally.

I wasn't fast in my answer, taking a few seconds too long before saying, " _Yes."_

He too took a while before answering, before saying, " _Okay."_ He sounded wary - not that I could blame him.

I was thankful he never noticed the dressings - or maybe he did, I don't know - but I knew from the second I started bandaging him that I was a magnificent piece of shit.

* * *

I woke up, softly groaning. I was sitting down, someone else sitting in a similar chair in front of me. He was looking at the ground, passed out. He never fell over due to his arms being secured to the armrests and legs to the legs of the chair with belts. So were mine.

The room… the restraints… Why must I have a habit of finding each individual circle of Hell?

I tried struggling, but found that my body was cut off from my brain. I tried to speak, but what came out wasn't what I spoke.

"Tony! Wake up, man!" I yelled. I could feel my heart sink and, defying all laws of physics, pound in my throat. I could feel the fear I felt over a year ago again, but I couldn't do anything about it, like watching a movie clip through my eyes.

Tony, who was now awake and looking at me, said, "Alex…? Where are we?"

 _Purgatory_ , I wanted to say. "A basement in a cabin of Frank's." My head darted to the door and back, and the uncontrolled quick movement made me feel nauseous. Not that I could puke if I wanted to. "I can't believe he isn't down here yet," I mumbled, before saying, "Can you get free?"

He looked over his body, testing every limb. To my (then) surprise, his right leg was able to move the attached chair leg. "Yes!" He tried kicking out, breaking the leg off after a small eternity.

"I'm gonna get us outta here, Alex, and I'm gonna cut Frank's _fucking_ head off if I have to," He said, rearing his foot back and kicking his other leg.

"Focus, Tony. Worry about that when you can actually do it." He had to lean back to stay upright as he kicked, grunting with every swing. I could hear the leg cracking with every impact, until it too finally broke off and he was able to stand up with the chair legs still attached to the back of his legs. He looked around quickly, before running backwards into a wall and jumping, the chair falling apart under the force. He got back up and took off the belts, running to me as he undid his arms.

"Yes!" I shouted quietly, though it didn't matter with the amount of noise he made. I felt sick now, truly sick, because I've read this story before, and I know how it ends.

He was in front of me now, undoing my right arm before going to my leg. "Come on, come on," I heard him mumble as I started on my left arm.

 _Let it end, please,_ I thought.

Those two shots impacting Tony still horrified me the second time around.

He yelled in pain, his body recoiling and sliding down against the wall to my right. To my left was the open doorway, Frank standing within it and aiming the smoking gun.

"Tony!" I yelled, before turning to the other and getting my arm free. "What did you do?!" I started frantically undoing the belts on my legs.

"Stop!" He yelled, and I did when I saw him coming towards me, my eyes able to see the chambered round down the barrel.

"Frank, ple-" I was cut off as he reared back and slammed the gun across my face. I could feel blood going down my temple, and where it impacted throbbed terribly. _I_ felt it, and I realized that I was gonna feel everything that comes after, too.

In the small time he stood there, he already had my left arm back to being held down. "Get off me!" I brought my right hand up and grabbed his gun holding arm, but it did nothing as he slammed it back down onto the armrest. In a swift motion, he placed the barrel against my forearm - the end burning hot against my skin - before he pulled the trigger.

The familiar pain replayed and relayed to my brain, and I screamed both in mind and out-loud. He wrapped the belt tightly around my wrist as I struggled, before backing away and admiring his work like an artist, his specialty being torture. I sat there and thrashed around, trying to do something - _anything_.

"Are you gonna calm down?" He said. I never replied, my actions bordering on hysterical, if the border was two miles behind me, that is. Blood was beginning to run down the side of my arm and onto the floor, some pooling in the bullet-shaped divot underneath my arm.

He came up to me and slapped me out of my stupor, and I looked up at him with fear masked by fury.

"You motherfucker!" I yelled, "What the fuck did I do to deserve this, you bastard?!"

He looked at me, fury in his eyes equal to mine. "You need to be taught a lesson since you can't seem to ever listen to me. That," He pointed at Tony, "could've been avoided. But no."

"Frank-"

"It was always about _your_ happiness, what _you_ need. Not what's best for the rest of the world, not what _needs_ to be done."

"What are you-?"

"And so here we are today, cultivated by a series of choices, all of which, were _yours_."

"Tony didn't-"

He punched me in the gut like lightning, and I doubled over groaning in pain. I felt like I was going to get sick. I was crying, my eyes watery.

"Tony is out of the equation, Alex. We ain't here because of him, we're here because of you."

As I looked back up at him, he reared his fist back and swung, uppercutting me under the chin. The chair leaned backwards, but he caught me by the shirt before I fell.

"And we will stay here forever if we have to to get this lesson through you. Because I love you."

He backed up a step, before coming forward and kicking me hard in the chest. This time, I fell backwards, crashing into the ground with no air left in my lungs. My vision was blurry, though I could still see Frank coming around and standing over me, his legs to my sides as he got lower and trapped me in.

"I'm not gonna kill ya, Alex. I think you're smart enough to know that. But you're probably gonna wish I was," He said with a nod.

And then he got down and punched me in the eye. Repeatedly, he beat me in the face, and I never once yelled. Even this time around, I refused to yell in my mind. But it wasn't so I would die with dignity this time.

My eyes slowly started closing, darkness blending in with the pain and overtaking me. He got up and kicked me twice in the side.

And Tony, who didn't die (yet), tackled him from the side with a yell. I couldn't see where they went, and my surprised mind looked around for them and called out weakly. I looked at my body, seeing that Frank had taken the beating too far and that the chair was being held together by little to nothing.

But as I got up, the world changed in an instant. No longer was I underground fighting for our freedom with Tony. Now I was topside, disoriented at my new surroundings. _I_ am in control and here now. I'm on a road, the one heading into town from my house. _Those_ bandages are over my hands, legs, body, and a quick feel showed even my neck as well.

 _Ah, the hallucinations,_ I realized. _At least I ain't bleeding anymore. Hope this doesn't kill me, X._

Cars are in front of me, burning or upturned, their likely owners strewn about and bloody. I see a small family of four, the mother and father holding their two daughters.

They're all dead.

And I'm the one holding the smoking gun in my right hand.

My breathing began to quicken, and I started turning about and looking everywhere. I looked back the way I assume I came, seeing shapes come towards me from the road and trees. I never even raised the weapon, watching as they ran closer and closer, eventually going past me towards the town. Some stayed to pick at the bodies, and I felt sick at what I was seeing.

I aimed the gun around now, unable to fathom just how many of these creatures were surrounding me. They were invading the town, and they were going to decimate it.

 _Is this still a hallucination or is it a premonition?_

I looked up, and saw that it was still raining. My body was dirty, covered in a black resin over the dried mud and blood. My clothes were tatters, my shirt nothing more but rags held together by grime and crap on me. Large portions of my skin was visible, but I honestly didn't care this one time.

I did a quick look around once more, before looking at the town that was beginning to scream with pain and gunfire.

I started running towards it.

* * *

Maybe thirty minutes after we started were we outside the cave entrance. The familiarity of it didn't match the hatred and fear I had for it.

We went in first - not by our choice - and I descended down the slope into the bowels of Hell. Alex fell asleep again at some point - thankfully - so he didn't notice the morphing of the walls into resin or the bodies - both human and animal - lined against the walls. He was twitching now. Most were dead, and of the some that were not, they were close. I was disgusted at the brutality some of them suffered, injuries so great that I pitied them more than Alex, or at least pretty close.

I hurried my footsteps along.

Screams and moans echoed around me, and I wanted nothing but to end their suffering and leave.

We went deeper in. To Kaia.

We came all too soon.

The corridors opened to a large room, where columns of rock coated in resin held the roof up. No humans or animals were on the walls in here - she hated the screaming when she slept. But when she's awake, she'll call for a few humans still alive just for fun.

In the center of the room, easily the tallest one, was the Queen. She had no humans around her, focusing all of her attention on us. The room was silent as we walked, no-one making a noise at my presence. My grip tightened on Alex.

It was when I was a couple of yards away from her that I stopped walking. I didn't want to get any closer, and when the others behind me made to get me further, she raised a hand and hissed. She never actually said anything.

" _So, this is what I've had to deal with for the past two cycles, hmm?"_ I nodded carefully. " _Wake him."_

I got down on my knees and set his body down gently. Veins near his bandaged wounds were visible and dark and black. His skin was pale and scorching to the touch, a thin layer of sweat and rainwater covering him. His breathing was shallow, too. At least he stopped shivering.

" _Alex, wake up,"_ I said, shaking him. He didn't move, still knocked out. I said to her, " _I don't think he's gonna wake up for a while, Kaia. The life-jelly will likely keep him that way for a while, too."_

" _Then,"_ She started, " _We wait."_

* * *

The town was exactly as I imagined it.

Smoke and fire dominated many of the buildings, while people ran and died in the streets. I wasn't attacked by any of Xerxes' kind, all of them running past me like I wasn't there. The further I walked, the more I desired to destroy with them for some reason, a dread of something haunting the back of my mind if I didn't. I gave in, finding that I couldn't stop myself from firing into the fleeing people or grabbing them by the nervous system. But it made me calm, and that unnerved me the most.

I couldn't shake the smile on my face when I made someone jump off a nearby three-story building, making him grab onto the woman beside him when he did.

At least I could bullshit myself into not feeling bad. It is a hallucination, after all. Right?

 _God, I hope._

And then, as if a memory had been implanted in my brain, I knew why I was contributing. I was doing this for Xerxes. This whole thing was for our survival, and I knew that I had to continue what I was doing or else we would both die by our 'allies'.

So I continued.

In my daze of numb murder forced upon me, I was able regain myself all of a sudden. The desire was gone, and the dread was dead. Instead, a black foam-like stuff started surrounding me from everywhere, the same stuff from the bathroom.

The same stuff in me right now.

It came from nowhere and was on me in moments. I tried to run, to climb on top of a nearby SUV that wasn't burning, but it dragged me down by the ankle. My head smashed into the roof as I fell, but I managed to grab the handle to the backseat door and pull it open as I got pulled back. I forced a foot to the ground and dove in, nearly losing my pants as I kicked the black out and slammed the door shut.

It started to engulf the vehicle, the windows showing nothing but pitch black. The ceiling light was on, but it just let me see my demise surrounding me and the two mauled bodies in the front seat.

Suppose I would've smelled them anyways.

The walls started to buckle and the glass started to crack. I put the revolver to my temple and fingered the trigger. I didn't know what would happen if died here. Would I actually die or just go to another hallucination?

I put the gun back down and slapped myself.

 _I ain't about to find out._

I could swear that I _heard_ the darkness surrounding me, making more than just a disgusting slushy noise. Like it was calling to me.

I tuned it out and got up front.

The keys were still in the ignition, but I didn't see driving out of here an option, even if the dead guy wasn't hogging the seat. I still turned it, just so I could hear the radio as I scavenged. Some song was playing, and I started surfing channels as I opened the glove box, finding nothing but papers and a tape case.

The radio crackled to life, unresponsive to any input, and I could barely make out a word in the static. " _Play…"_

 _What?_ I thought. But I already knew, and I snatched the case and flipped it open in a second. I stopped in my tracks, though, when I saw the black substance covering and pulsating on it. It was disgusting to look at it, making me more sick than the blood and bodies up front. I grabbed a corner that look the cleanest and jammed it in the radio, patting the bodies down for anything.

A voice came out, one I knew. "You have no chance, Alex," He said, "Let it consume you. Maybe then you can be with Tony and be gone with me."

Frank.

"Fucking what?!" I said, not expecting this in the slightest. I stopped searching, finding nothing on the two. I muted the radio and sat back in the seat.

"You can't ignore me, Alex."

 _Ugh, goddamnit._

"You know you're ready to go, you've been ready for years now. You can meet your _whore_ again. He's been waiting for you. You just need to open the door and step. Out. Si-" I hit it as hard as I could, then twice more out of anger before I fell back in my seat and heaved.

"…Fuck!" I yelled, before hitting the radio more. My knuckles bled and hurt, and I didn't stop until they were raw. The glass around me was a mess of spiderwebs about to fall apart. Less than a minute. Hell, less than a quarter of a minute now.

I jammed my hands into my pockets, about to search for my picture of Tony and I, when I felt something I know I didn't have there. I pulled it out, seeing Law's lighter between my fingers. I couldn't believe it - that fucker planted something on me again! I flicked it open giddily, watching it make a spark and then fire.

I darted back up front, grabbing as many papers as I could from the glove box and folding them together as tight as possible. I held the flame under it and watched the paper go from white to black, catching in seconds and spreading to the other papers. I laughed with desperation, opening the door and brandishing my fire.

It tried grabbing me by the leg, but it backed up fast when I brought the flame close to it. I hopped out and turned in circles, brandishing the torch and lighter and getting myself a radius of about a yard between me and it. But the flame didn't last, the rain putting out the papers and the wind taking the lighter faster than I hoped.

I was engulfed in seconds, the viscous substance forcing itself into me through every orifice painfully. Black surrounded my vision, but through my pain I sparked the lighter over and over, until right before I could feel myself slip away, it ignited. All of a sudden, that black turned to light, and the death that surrounded me turned into fire eating me alive.

I got on my hands and knees and threw up violently, punching myself in the stomach to get it all out.

* * *

His skin was pale, with black veins covering most of his body. The most visible ones were going up and down his neck and head. He was sweating and searing hot to the touch. His breathing had started going faster, twitches in his muscles becoming visible.

He wasn't in the best shape, and I started twitching from shot nerves.

It's been at least five hours, maybe longer.

" _What happens if he dies?"_ I asked.

Kaia never took her sight off the human. " _You better hope he doesn't."_

I growled softly, masking it behind a grunt. " _He won't."_

And as I said that, Alex began rapidly twitching. I looked back at him, seeing the black recede from most of his body and up to his head, his entire face becoming a dark mess. He coughed and vomited to the side, rolling to his hands and knees so that he could vomit more.

It was pure black, with his dark veins disappearing the more it came out of him. His muscles clenched and bulged, and even his normal veins were present as he forced it out. He punched himself multiple times - hard - in the stomach to get it out until I was behind him and squeezing him against me to help expel it all. It was over fast, though, and he spit the remainder out. I held him close, listening to his breathing settle and heartbeat slow. He didn't feel cold anymore, just warm, but not as bad as earlier. The puddle had smoke floating from it.

"Xerxes?" He asked, his voice gravelly and torn.

" _Alex,"_ I breathed out. " _You okay?"_

He shifted and said, "Yeah… Let me up." I did, and he stood up slowly, testing his healed leg, before turning around. His hands searched the air, before finding my shoulder and launching himself at me. We hugged, and I would've been content if I died right then and there.

"Oh, I can't see anything," He grumbled. "But you don't know how glad I am you're here! …This is real, right?"

" _I assure you,"_ Kaia butted in, " _This is real."_

He looked around behind me, searching for the source. "Who the hell…?" He started, drifting off as he began to realize who it was. I looked at his face, and I knew he could see her.

"…The Queen."

" _In the flesh."_

" _She's_ fucking _gigantic, X!"_ He mentally exclaimed.

" _Yes, I am, aren't I?"_

Alex was silent for a moment as he left the hug to stand beside me, the two of us facing her now. "…Spared no time getting that bond set up, I see."

" _No, no I did not."_

A pause.

"Like your home. Makes me feel like I'm in a cheap haunted house." I bumped him in the side, trying to get him to cut it out. He never took his eyes off her.

" _Oh, I'm gonna like you."_

" _Hey!"_ I interrupted, " _Are you going to tell us why we're here?"_

" _Right, right, calm down,"_ She said, " _Alex,_ do _you know why you're here?"_

* * *

"Because you're guys suck at their jobs," I said. I heard hisses around me, and Xerxes jabbed me again. I should probably stop.

" _Yes, but do you know why you're here and not dead out there?"_ She asked. I wanted to say what I said earlier again, but stayed silent instead. " _Because the fight you put up, have been putting up, has impressed me. Such tenacity and grit doesn't deserve to go unrewarded."_

"You gonna kill us fast or slow?" I said. She laughed, a powerful noise that, even though it was all in the mind, echoed throughout the cave.

" _Kill you? Quite the opposite, young one. I saw everything to you while you slept, and I see what you are - A battle hardened warrior. Frank, Jane…"_ She drifted off, " _Tony. My condolences, I know your pain."_

I didn't expect that and was taken aback slightly. "Thank you," I said softly. "But that still doesn't answer the question: What are you going to do to us?"

" _Let me get there,"_ She said. " _You're something special for your kind - or kinds, considering - due to your power."_ My face scrunched in confusion, and I heard her sigh when she realized I would interrupt her again.

"Wait, last time. What do you mean, 'kinds'? Am I not human?"

Her irritation was gone in a second, replaced by surprise and please as she said, " _Oh, so you don't know, do you?"_ I shook my head. " _Let me finish, and I'll tell you as much as I know about your lineage as I can."_

I nodded. Something told me she wasn't gonna tell me I was part hispanic or something.

" _Your determination, your strength, your power. You are the foundation of an unstoppable force, one I hope we can build upon together."_ Though I was still focused on what I _am_ , I paid attention to what she said.

"You want me to be your soldier…" I realized. She nodded.

" _What can I say? We're in need of numbers, and the last ones didn't add up in the end."_ She made to talk more, but I interrupted her and spoke quickly.

"No you're not. You know I'm too much of a risk for just that. You _need_ me for something else - and I wanna know why." The corners on the eyeless behemoth's mouth twitched up.

And then Xerxes finally spoke: " _You're not actually considering this, Alex?"_ He was terrified - this is _his_ Frank. Except this time he's the size of a building. And female - not that it matters. I wasn't (as) scared of her - she hasn't filled me with terror yet, just intimidation - but I understood his fear.

I just hope he understands mine.

" _X, I'm not seeing a way out. This is our only shot."_

Kaia started again and Xerxes said nothing. " _Certainly a smart one. Alright, one thing: Do you understand what you've been dreaming?"_

There was a second of confusion before it clicked. "That wasn't a hallucination I had, not all of it, right?"

" _Correct, and that's what would happen if you said yes."_ My heart started racing, and the thought of further death sickened me, but I swallowed my pride and bile in the back of my mouth.

I turned to Xerxes, seeing the confused look on his face. "She wants me to help kill them all…" I breathed.

" _What?"_ Xerxes said. " _Who? The people in that town?"_ I nodded, and he grabbed my shoulders. " _Alex, please, you can't do this-"_

"I'll do _anything_ to keep us alive, X… I'm sorry."

I paused, took a deep breath, and spoke to the Queen.

"…I need to know two things."

" _Alex!"_ I heard Xerxes cry, and my eyes closed as I spoke, drowning out the hisses towards him.

"First: No matter what happens, even if I die, you will give me your word that nothing, not a single one of you or anyone else, will lay a hand on Xerxes."

" _You have my word that Xerxes will not be harmed no matter what."_

"Second: Why are you starting a war with us? Before I came, what did we do to provoke this decision?" I asked.

" _Why do you associate yourself with_ them _?"_ She spat, " _I thought we have already established that you are much more than they could ever be."_

I swallowed my shame next - feeling it disappear in the black hole in stomach - since I would need it to survive what I said next: "I just want - _need_ \- an answer if I'm to… to help."

My chest was tight, and it hurt to think that this was the task I was about to have. At least we get to live, and I'm not going to think of the cost, because if I do, I don't know if I'll be able to follow through until it's happening.

" _Not everyone can do things without reason, I suppose. Even before you came, we needed numbers, but now we need them more than ever to stand a chance against a group of hunters coming to wipe us out. And the fastest way - the only way - is with the town."_

"But how do you even know they're coming for you? I doubt you just asked them."

" _No, but that feels like a logical response after we killed one and injured another a few days ago - about the time Xerxes left in fact. Sooner or later, either the Yautja or the humans - or both - are going to find us and wipe us out. If we can eliminate the humans and get more to fight with us before the hunters come, our odds will be better."_

And there I have it - alien hunters coming to kill other aliens.

Here marks the end of everything. Time to sell my soul, or at least whatever Frank left behind.

"Okay…," I said, my stomach twisting into a knot made of twenty others, "How do we begin?" _Just embrace the insanity - make it the norm, take it with open arms, and keep yourself and X alive. I can do that, I will-_

" _NO!"_ Xerxes shouted, desperation in his voice. " _Kill me! Keep me here and do what you want to me! BUT YOU CAN NOT MAKE HIM DO THIS!"_ I could faintly see other black shadows approaching him, and my hand reached for the butt of the revolver, something I was surprised to actually find.

 _Worst comes to worst, bluff tactics,_ I thought.

"What are you _doing_ , Xerxes?! I'm trying to keep us alive, goddamnit!" It was then that one kicked him in the back of the knee, and I pulled out the gun and aimed it at his assailant. A million small roars and hisses deafened me, but I could still hear Kaia speak.

" _Lower your weapon, Alex. You are not going to do this."_ I saw the attacker's arm move to strike, and I made one last ditch effort.

I rammed the barrel under my chin and yelled, "You kill him, you kill me!"

" _Stop!"_ Kaia yelled, and I could see his hand - his claws - had gotten close enough to leave small marks, the small dots of blood barely glowing in the dark.

"Back up from him!" I yelled.

" _Do it,"_ She said, and they did. He got up and hurried over, placing his back up against mine, his head twitching around and scanning the room quickly.

"Stay calm. I'm getting you out," I reassured, fumbling for his hand and holding it. "Let him go, and I stay! I walk with him to exit, he leaves, and after five minutes when I'm sure he is long gone, I'll drop my gun."

She said nothing.

" _What about you? You can't stay,"_ Xerxes said.

"I don't intend to. I'll find you, I promise," I whispered, though I don't think it mattered. I pulled the hammer back and looked at Kaia. "Or you lose your whole reason we're here."

And then, in a colder tone than earlier, she said, " _And what about Xerxes? You surely wouldn't leave him with us, would you?"_

"I think I have pretty good chances of getting him and myself before you," I said. "Or, you can pick the option where the outcome has all the perks of the first - he's gone, but I stay."

She scoffed and sighed. " _You won't give this up, will you?"_ I said nothing, not looking away and barely shaking my head. " _Fine, go slowly."_

A path opened up in the horde, though we would be less than a foot away from them all with how small it was. I didn't like this at all. Hell, at this point I was scared my finger was gonna twitch and pull the trigger and we'd all hear the ' _click!'_ of it being empty.

Xerxes was leading, though the two of us were still back to back and keeping our guard up. Every step felt like we went nowhere, but we still moved.

Maybe a minute, maybe two into the horde, and I saw one of them rush me - probably trying to disarm me. But I saw him, and even though the gun was empty, and even though they should've been able to have the advantage on me, I still raised the gun up and pulled the trigger out of habit. My heart all but stopped when I realized it _wasn't_ empty. I couldn't see the loaded bullets in the dark.

The round fired and the room lit up to show hundreds of them around me. I could hear the bullet impact him, a green splash coming out the exit wound of his head, and I realized two things.

One, Kaia most certainly did not need more fighters.

Two, we were absolutely and royally fucked.

The second the bullet impacted him, they were on us. Xerxes, who still had my hand, started running and dragging me behind. I tried to keep up, though the fight lasted for about four seconds in all before they were around us and pulling us away.

"X! I'll find you!" I yelled. Their claws dug through my remaining clothes and skin easily, and when I got struck in the mouth, I could no longer hold on. His hand was lost in a sea of darkness, and I was being dragged away by multiple of them to a tunnel.

" _Alex!"_ He yelled, but he was gone.

"Fuck!" I yelled. I was being dragged along for the ride, my head hitting everything it felt like. It was a miracle I didn't get burned with how close he was, or maybe I was and just didn't feel it yet - just about everything hurt now, it was hard to tell what. But now I'm unarmed, and this is about to be the end of the line.

" _Why did you do that, ALEX!?"_ Kaia shouted.

" _You were gonna have him killed, you two-faced bitch! You tried to play me! I was gonna work with you, too! Why did_ you _do that?!"_ I heard her growl, feeling it deep in my bones.

" _Because you made the mistake of thinking this was a negotiation instead of a demand. Xerxes is not needed nor wanted, and this will be one life too many that I will not forgive you for taking."_

" _If you kill Xerxes, I won't-"_

" _There you go again,"_ She said, " _Thinking this is something you have a say in, something you can argue against. If I want him dead, I will have him dead if I have to do it myself."_

" _If I find that you've killed Xerxes, I will spend every waking moment of however much longer I've got trying to kill you."_ She laughed, that same echo going throughout my brain.

" _He is not going to die,"_ She said, and I believed her, if not just a little bit. " _But you need to realize that you are not in control here - I am. Here is your one warning: do as they say, no matter what. You will not die, but if you do not do this, Xerxes will. The same has been said to him, so if you two want to live, you do everything you are told."_ And then she was gone, the link having faded away or been cut off.

The ride was long, or it felt that way at least, and it became difficult to say things over the link with my head hitting everything. Didn't matter - she didn't say anything either.

But it did stop what felt like miles away from where we just were. My mind started to drift to X, and I believed her when she said he wouldn't die, but that basically means anything else is fair game.

That knot in my gut felt more like a tumor now, and it grew when I realized we were both going to have hell to pay. Not in the weight of gold or money, but in the weight of flesh and blood.

They'd go easy on him, wouldn't they? I mean, _I'm_ the one who pulled the trigger, _I'm_ the one who wanted him to live…

Shit, he has a past with them all - I know if Frank saw me today, somehow alive, he'd make sure I was babbling incoherently by the time he'd finish.

 _Fuck, X. Why'd you have to speak up then? I could've handled it, if it were for us? Yeah, I could've handled it. And now we have to step through this next set of bullshit before we can get to the_ actually _traumatizing part of the day,_ I thought. I stopped myself there, hating myself for being pissed at him.

 _Just gotta live for now and get the hell outta here. Get_ us _the hell outta here._ Us.

 _We get out of here._

 _Whatever it takes._

 _I won't let him be the next Tony._

They tossed me hard on the floor, my back hitting a wall and my ass taking a hard blow from the ground. I thought about getting up, but thought against it when they started pulling off what little tatters I had.

" _Get him up,"_ One of them said. Two of them pulled me up by the armpits, still pinning my back to the wall. My pants, the only thing still barely intact, was pulled down, and a feeling of exposure was quickly creeping up on me.

"Oh c'mon, y'all are gonna fuck me?" I said. One of them punched me square in the jaw, my head snapping to the right. It popped a joint on the right side, but I just stretched it out in spite.

My last layer went down between my legs, and one grabbed my bits roughly. "Ah, not the crown jewels," I begged. They were cutting off my bandages now, and instead of hitting me, a few of them simultaneously cut too deep, enough for blood to run down my leg, chin, and my right hand. The hand got the worst of it, of course, and I bit my tongue to suppress any noise of weakness.

During this, the one that had my bits had created a handful of resin, which he slapped on said bits. It didn't hurt, but it felt and smelled disgusting, and it hardened in moments, making it itchy as hell.

"Ugh, you nasty mother-" And in that moment, as my mouth was open and talking like an idiot, the one in front of me shot its secondary set of jaws in my mouth. It engulfed just about my entire tongue, and before I even had a chance to make another noise, he bit down and tore it out. The movement was so quick that I tasted the blood before I felt the pain, but it was quick and immediate as well. My eyes watered and teared at the sudden and intense pain, and he held my head up so that, even through my blurry eyes, I could see the shape go down his throat. Blood was on his chin, and I swung my fist at it. But it did nothing, as he caught it in one hand and grabbed my chin in the other, before rearing back his right and slashing me across the face on my left cheek.

I screamed, red saliva spraying out my mouth as I was turned around and slammed back against the wall. I could feel more resin being put on me, most but not all drying immediately.

"Wha hi ya oo!? Wha hi ya oo!?" " _What did you do!? What did you do!?"_ I yelled out loud and over the link. The one who took my tongue came up and shot his jaws in my mouth again, putting something on the remainder of my tongue. I already knew what it was.

" _Do not worry, we know how much your kind needs communicate. Now be quiet or we will rip it out again,"_ He said, taking it out.

Tears went down my face, blood on the left and water on the right. I felt sick over the amount of blood I swallowed and let the red drool go down my chin, feeling one of them press up against my back.

* * *

They pulled him out of the main cavern and deeper into the tunnels. I tried so hard to pull us out of here, though it was impossible. They pushed me down so that I was prone on the floor.

I could feel their blades slice me all over, some areas much harder than others. Blood went down and around me, but nowhere near enough to be fatal.

During all of this, I did not fight back. I already knew the rules of this game, and I didn't want to kill Alex with my actions.

But I certainly hurt him. If he kept his mouth quiet and did as told, he should be fine.

 _What did I do?_ I thought. _He's gonna say something he shouldn't. They won't let him get away with it like Kaia did._

 _And yet, who screwed him over? Who betrayed him after he trusted you?_

 _You did, you monster._

 _It would've been easier to kill us both earlier than to live now. That was a certainty._

 _How could I have been naive enough to think he wouldn't risk himself to keep me alive?_

I mentally scoffed at my own thought.

 _How could I have been naive enough to think that even if she accepted my deal, she would follow her half?_

I couldn't help but let out a gurgle of a chuckle. _Guess my instincts really did get the better of me. I trusted in her - how amazing is that?_

I chuckled again, more of a hysterical noise that couldn't have possibly been deciphered from the sounds of my brothers and sisters.

 _Can't blame instincts, only myself._

It's only been two or three minutes, and they're already going further than they used to.

 _He's gonna hate me._

 _He'll probably want to kill me. Kaia would let him, too, without a shadow of a doubt._

 _If I didn't load the gun, he'd be fine and I'd be dead. Or he would be better than he is now and I'd still be dead._

 _All because I didn't want him to do what she wanted, to be her killer. I couldn't let him become one. I just couldn't._

 _That obviously helped things so much._

 _I shouldn't have tested my luck, should've let them make him one. Maybe then we'd be fine. Physically, at least. And I would be there for him after, and I could fix him._

 _And then she'd kill us…_

The pain was beginning to cloud my thoughts, and I gave up on it entirely.

I was good about staying silent, having learned a long time ago that they'll make it worse the more noise you make

Then again, they tried harder when you were silent, so it was a double edged sword.

But the one thing that made me suppress a near full-on screech was when one of them reared back and kicked me hard enough in the face that I could feel my dome crack around my eyes. Seeing became much harder with all the cracks in my view, but they were quick to make sure I didn't miss a second of the action, reaching down and picking shards apart and pulling them out.

It hurt worse than anything I've ever experienced, and suddenly, even in the pitch black darkness, the room became way too bright.

* * *

I wanted to pretend it was Xerxes, I really did. But it felt like a betrayal to him to do so, so I just suffered through it.

He had been slow, sensual, romantic even, and treated me with the care of an unscuffed, untouched diamond - not to say I'm extraordinarily valuable or anything, though he certainly made me feel that way. Best hour and a half of my life.

But they… They made sure I was nothing more than a warm hole. They had me pinned and plastered to the wall as they did their business to me, my eyes having closed a while ago. It hurt bad at first, and I bit down on my lip until it bled to keep from screaming. After that, it subsided to a throb and _in_ and _out_. I didn't make more than a noise of heavy breathing against the wall, refusing to show anything more. The fact that this actually made me hard ashamed me, and it was both agony and a blessing that my dick was covered and prevented from actually being hard - but I could feel it. I felt disgusted with what they put on and in me, but the worst was easily what he did to my mouth.

My tongue.

Talking? Out the window minus basic noises. Tasting? I can taste the blood in my mouth right now, so that must be a good sign, right? At least biting my tongue while eating's a thing in the past for now, right? And yet, the thought of anything - be it food or whatever - going in my mouth made me want to gag.

...Fuck, I just had to run my mouth, didn't I? Fucking idiot.

At least they fixed it and it should hopefully heal. But just because you offer to buy me new tires doesn't make me instantly forgive you for slashing them in the first place.

I could feel something building up in me again, like what happened back at Jackson's with the pulse-thing. I wanted to rip them apart with themselves, wanted to beat them to death with my bare hands if not for their blood. The only reason I held onto it and kept it in me - despite the increasingly overwhelming pressure building up - was for Xerxes. I just had to hold out until whenever we see each other again, however long that'll be.

I started to imagine that the warm wall I was splayed about and plastered on was Xerxes himself, and that he held me. I held onto that thought, and then I held onto the idea of sleeping again, him by my side and the two of us in that dreamland he constructed.

 _Maybe he's asleep, maybe they knocked him out, maybe he's waiting for me to join him,_ I thought.

But you can't fall asleep in a nightmare.

He sped up, before tearing into the back of my left shoulder with his teeth. I couldn't suppress a scream at the unexpected pain, and he sped up even faster, finishing inside within half a minute. He pressed up against my back, getting close to my ear as he hissed, and I wanted to puke.

And finally, when I thought it was over and he was pulling out, he rammed back in and started up again. I could feel the others around me who never left start rubbing their appendages on me, leaving wet trails up and down my arms and legs and body. I could smell the musk from them and the one rutting me, and I fought against tears going down my cheeks.

One wasted no time scaling the wall above me, and I spent the remainder of the torture gagging and choking for short breaths with a foul taste. I couldn't pass out - that'd be too easy.

He took longer, and he didn't bite me again, but when he finished his second time, he finally pulled out.

Three others came and did their thing, effectively marking the worst twenty minutes of my life.

" _My turn,"_ The fifth finally spoke. I could see one out of the corner of my eye come up behind me, before turning back around. " _Go, I have my own plans for it,"_ He said. The two others I could see turned and walked off outside my vision, including the one in my mouth. I didn't dare spit and just swallowed it.

I wasn't sure whether to be more or less terrified now that I was alone.

He came back behind me, touching me softly and looking over me, like he was figuring out the mathematical equation to perfect torture. He did this for a while, silently investigating me for about a minute after I heard their footsteps fade off.

His hand left, and the next thing I knew, I could feel him cut my left arm out of the resin in the wall. I yelped at the sudden action, but understood what he was doing when he helped me pull my arm fully free.

" _Are you okay?"_ He said.

"Wh-" I stopped myself before I could finish, not daring to hear my broken words. " _Who are you?"_

He cut my left leg free, pulling it out fully from the wall. " _Dante. Xerxes may have mentioned me before,"_ He said. He cut my other leg free as I tore my blinds and ripped my other arm out.

" _You? You're the one who warned him, aren't you?"_ I ripped at the resin and pulled my head free, and after pushing myself off the wall as hard as I could, along with him pulling as well, the resin finally tore apart from my body and I was free and falling to the floor.

" _Yes, I am."_ He reached out to help me up, but I flinched and backed away.

" _Don't-"_ I snapped, " _Don't fucking touch me. Neither you or me are going to tell him or speak about what happened here, alright?"_ He gave a short nod, and I pulled my britches back up and stood. The resin on my crotch itched bad, and a small tug showed how stuck it truly was to me and how bad it was gonna hurt to get off. _Nasty motherfuckers,_ I thought.

" _Stay here, I have to grab something."_ As he turned away, I carefully started pulling hair out of the blood and slash mark on my face, before I felt around my bloodied left eye. I could trace a line going from my hairline to left side of my chin. It was deep and still bled, a long trail of red going down my shoulder and chest, though not as fast as earlier. Three lines in all, each just about the same length, and one that went directly over my eye. It throbbed, and I couldn't see out of it, nor did I even want to see what it looked like. It was ruined though, that much was for sure.

I looked back at where I was stuck on the wall, seeing the remaining red ribbons of my shirt. I grabbed as many of the biggest ones I could find - about five - and tied them around my eye. It stuck easy in the blood, but at least it covered my eye and most of my cheek now.

 _Hey, wait,_ I thought, reaching into my pocket. I could hardly believe it when I pulled out the lighter. Law really did slip me something again. I slipped it back in, a small smile threatening to show.

I could hear Dante step hard to make noise, and when I could finally see him come back, I saw that in his hand was the revolver. He handed it to me, and I grabbed it carefully, looking over it in awe. I traced the lines in the frame and handle, following them until they ended. Just like the lines on my face, they ended, and I realized how badly I wanted, _needed_ , to be the end to Kaia's line.

She's going down, and I'm going to enjoy it - just this one.

" _Are we going to kill her?"_ I asked bluntly.

" _Just follow me,"_ He said, and I did. " _We are getting out of here."_ Now that was promising.

" _Where are we going?"_

" _To the Yautja's body. Their armor typically has a self-destruct function you should be able to activate."_

" _Wait, wait, how the hell am I gonna be able to do that? I take it I'm part Yautja or whatever-you-said, but I don't know shit about them! How do you expect me to figure that out?"_

" _We will do a memory dive if we need to, or maybe you will just remember instinctively. We do that, and we can time our escape so that we are not followed."_ I nodded.

" _Okay, fine. Are you willing to do this? I mean, I'll do it if I can figure it out, but…"_

" _We do it. For all the lives taken here and tortured… We bring as many of us as we can."_

" _What? We can't-"_

" _There are a few others like me and Xerxes. They come with us if I can help it, Alex."_ I shook my head.

" _Even if I could fit you all, I can't take you all further than out of town. I'll drop y'all off somewhere far away enough to make it the rest of the way, but that's it. I can only take Xerxes."_ I said softly.

" _Come with us. Xerxes could never be accepted by your kind, but you would be accepted among us. You would be blood to us, hive mates. We would be better than_ this _,"_ He spat.

" _Let me think about it, there's time for deciding that when we_ aren't _in danger, alright?"_

He looked disappointed, but didn't push further, saying, " _Fine. What is the plan?"_ I nearly tripped hearing that.

" _You-you don't have a plan?"_ I exasperated. " _You're joking, right? Please tell me you are."_

He shook his head.

" _Fuck… Okay, uhm, we need to buy us time to do this… Alright, here's what you're gonna tell that bitch…"_

* * *

The pain was beginning to all blend into one over my body, and it became impossible to pinpoint where whatever was happening. Two of the six fingers on the right of my right hand were missing, a dorsal tube had been ripped off with two others being badly hurt, the blade on my tail was gone, and a ring of smoke surrounded me as the blood did its work. Even the resin couldn't handle our blood after a while.

" _Alright, that is enough,"_ She said. The pain was still there, but I could no longer feel them holding me down or continuing their onslaught. I slowly removed my arm from my eyes, and could see in the brightness that they had moved away from me. It hurt my eyes to see in a way I never experienced, but it subsided and the brightness became bearable quickly. I stood up, clutching my ribs.

" _They tell me that Alex is still alive, Xerxes. They also tell me that his tongue has been cut, and that they have bred him multiple times. I think the two of you are fairly equal in the severity of your injuries now, would you not?"_ I looked at the ground, stuck on what she told me.

"… _We are,"_ I said weakly. Though in actuality, I thought he had it worse. I couldn't imagine how he must be. What he went through… What he's probably _still_ going through. He'll survive, I know that, but he doesn't deserve this, and it hurts to think about what I did. And now, despite my earlier thought of keeping him from being a killer or even myself, I think we are both ready to kill her at the earliest possible moment.

" _Speak up,"_ She said, and I wanted nothing more than to rip her apart, despite the impossibility of it in terms of practicality and realism.

Instead, I settled for saying, " _I said 'we are',"_ in a much louder voice. " _I want to see him."_

" _Do not test your luck, he is alive. And he is helping us get ready for tonight, so he is safe for now."_ I thought she was finished and nearly spoke, before she started again, " _Before you say anything, let me offer you a compromise in a show of trust. If you sit down, lick your wounds, and behave, they will not harm you further. Tonight then, when you have healed, you may join us in the fight and maybe even help keep Alex alive in battle. Or, you can endure a second wave, but you have to stay here, because we can not afford you leaving injured and doing something you should not again, alright?"_

I had to suppress myself from either scoffing or snorting, amazed that she still thinks I would attempt that. Not anymore, I have to stay alive now.

For Alex. To tell him I'm sorry.

* * *

" _Do you think she bought it?"_ I asked.

" _I do, actually. I honestly do."_

" _Good, that's great to hear,"_ I said. I truly needed to hear something like that, and it felt like a small stone had been chipped off the boulder on my chest, making it only slightly more bearable, but more nonetheless.

We walked for maybe five minutes through tunnels that couldn't have been natural, and that were likely carved by them - maybe they _were_ natural, and maybe I was overthinking - until I was hit in the face by this God-awful smell. It smelled like a carcass, sickly sweet and terrible, but infinitely worse in its intensity. It wasn't for another two minutes that I saw what it came from, and even though in that time I thought and very likely knew what it was, I could never have been prepared for what laid ahead.

I saw a large opening, much like the main room we were in with the Queen. I could see faint shapes just barely in the dark, and as we got closer, I saw just how many lay there. Easily a couple hundred bodies, mostly human with some animal, some reduced to skeleton and little flesh, but most bloated and rotten, having been here for months to even years. Some were still on the walls, plastered and held there for however long with large holes in their chests. The smell suddenly got much worse, and combined with the sight, I doubled over and vomited. I wiped away what little came up, looking out at the large graveyard.

 _It's like a fucking warehouse, I can barely see the other wall! This room in of itself would probably explode with all the rotting bodies' gas building up,_ I thought. Best not fire the gun in here.

" _Jesus Christ, let's get the body and go. Where is it?"_ He pointed to an area near the far wall.

" _Somewhere over there. Come on."_ And so we walked.

It was terrifying walking among the mass graveyard, all of them horribly disfigured. I couldn't see many visible wounds aside from the obvious missing limb or so, but I could see up close that it would be impossible to tell anything further with how much blood they were all covered in.

 _Blowing them up is probably for the best. It's about the only dignity their bodies are gonna get,_ I thought.

As we continued, a drone slinked his way out from a pile of bodies. He walked past Dante and, of course, to me, where he roughly shoved me. With it being all around me, I landed on a large, squishy group of bodies. The smell was laced with rot and shit, they were wet and cold, and with that feeling of maggots and bodily fluids crawling down my back, I gagged, forcing myself to hold it in.

The drone came beside me in a flash of movement, removing a hunk of inflamed and green meat from a body beside me. He slammed his foot down on my chest and shoved the meat in my face. He jammed as much as he could in my mouth and forced my chin to close on it, and my shoves did nothing to get him away until Dante intervened, less than two seconds having flown by in the encounter.

The move made me choke, and even though round three was coming out of my mouth, I still got a good taste. It was terribly bitter, indescribable really and unbelievably mushy, and I spat and dug out of my mouth with my hands to get it out, though I knew in reality that I had swallowed some. Certainly didn't stop me from having another puke-session though, so I suppose I don't get to be a cannibal for another day. Though my tongue burned like hell now.

During this, Dante managed to tell the drone to leave us be, which he did with a sulk in his step as if this ruined his day and was only the beginning for him. In a way, it sort of was, but only the beginning of the end, and I planned on making sure of it.

If I had even the remotest inkling of hesitation in doing this, it was gone now.

The horror that had presented itself within that minute or less, it didn't make me scared or terrify me. It certainly repulsed me, but the main thing it did to me?

It made me _pissed_. And I'm gonna show them all who they fucked with.

But for the next few minutes, I can settle with wiping my vomit covered hands on my pants and grave robbing dead aliens.

It took another two minutes walking, and when we found him near a wall, he had two other bodies laying on his chest and legs. I grimaced as I lifted a body, setting him down on a nearby pile gently as Dante did the same, albeit with a _thump_ that pissed me off even more. _Respect the dead, especially these poor souls,_ I thought.

I shook my head, closed my eye, and took a breath to calm myself down, forcing myself not to snap and keep it together. When I opened it, I looked down at the body with recharged focus. His dreads were long, many having beautiful rings or wraps around them. His mask certainly looked like an alien hunter's mask alright, though it had the familiar acid burn marks and dips on it. He had a small cannon on his shoulder, a dark red chestplate with wire netting on the stomach and legs, a large chitinous-like set of boots on strange feet, and a dual set of metal gauntlets on the wrists which looked the most technologically advanced.

He was also rather bloodied as well. Green, fluorescent blood had seeped out of the small cuts on his upper arms, a massive gash going along his stomach that looked as though it went all the way through, and a deep bite in his shoulder that nearly ripped it off by the looks of it. His stomach was obviously what did him in with how much blood surrounded it, but nothing was no longer bleeding.

I got low and started patting him down, finding a large dagger in a beautiful sheath, markings and lines similar to my gun. I pulled it out to compare the two, and sure enough, they looked the same for the most part. The thing that confirmed it, however, was that they both had a part where the lines crossed and curved over one another in the exact same way. It was the type of thing you couldn't label as a coincidence.

It made me wonder about who Frank was now, who he really was behind the scenes. Which further struck the question as to who Cassandra was as well.

I shook my head and pulled out the blade, which was serrated to all hell. It looked too thin to stay together if it were used, but it had such an edge all around that must've made it good at something. I put it back in the sheath and transferred it to my own thigh.

I managed to find a large casing on his back just barely sticking out from his body. I lifted him with Dante and reached in, popping something to get it off and pulling it out. It was certainly some kind of storage container; shaped like the head of the resident's home I'm in with a black seam going down the middle. I slid the dagger out of its sheath and down the seam, watching it open up and reveal a strange vial with a button on the side containing a neon blue substance and a set of materials looking like a disassembled syringe separated and neatly organized.

 _Even the aliens got themselves some drugs, it looks like,_ I thought. I took the syringe set and did my best to put it together, which was relatively easy with how it all snapped together. It ended up looking like a gun with a trigger and safety and all.

" _What are you doing?"_ Dante asked.

" _Don't know, trying to find out myself,"_ I replied. I crouched down and took the vial, pressing the button for only a moment and watching a small stream of rich blue come and go in a second. When it landed, the effect became apparent immediately, melting through the resin on the floor at a rate to surpass even the acidic blood. However, unlike the acid blood, the blue chemical stopped at the stone, still dissolving the resin around it but going no deeper. Some just barely touched the exposed hand of a body beside me, which was also ate away by the substance. The blue gas coming off of it reeked like a powerful acid, and a small whiff of it going up my nose burned like a mother.

" _Oh, hell yes. This shit'll destroy anything organic I bet,"_ I said. I poured some more of the vial out onto the stone before taking the syringe and getting as much of it as I could inside, watching the clear container fill. " _And I'm sure it'll give anyone it touches a bad day."_

" _Even the Queen?"_

" _Now you're thinking like me."_ I put the syringe on the floor and continued to disrespect the dead.

Next was the harness he wore around the waist. Another round of lifting the body and unclasping everything ensued, and I was left with a harness around my waist tightened as much as it could be just to fit, the revolver now on my left hip beside a pouch. But now I had somewhere to put that syringe. And the shit-ton of bullets weighing my pockets down.

I safetied the syringe and put a guard on the needle, putting it in my left hip pouch. The handful of shells and one and half moon clips went in the pouch on the right. I was truly beginning to feel armed to the teeth, even though this was nothing compared to having that rifle earlier.

The final thing I stripped the body down of was a small casing that, when I slid the top off, revealed its contents to be an assortment of medical tools. A small pair of spreaders, proper surgical needles - unlike the one in my pouch - another vial of slightly different blue stuff, and a gnarly looking stapler that looked like it would do more harm than good, though it'd certainly close something up if need be. I closed the case and put it in a pouch on the back of my waist.

" _Tell me he's got something better than a blade for a weapon."_

He shook his head. " _He had a bladed staff when they came, and it is likely here, but it was beyond repair before he died."_

" _Shit."_ I looked over his gauntlets and armor, seeing that it was all far too large to fit me. Even the mask, sadly.

" _So how do we make you go 'boom' then, hmm?"_ I said to the body. I got down and examined his gauntlet, looking over the blades that made me truly want to have my own set. _Man, why do I have a feeling that this is barely scratching the surface in terms of what they bring along?_

I tried moving it around in any way, watching the top come off like a hatch. " _That is what you will need. That can set it off."_

" _I vaguely remember this. Why the hell do I remember this at all?"_ I said. Dante just shrugged.

" _You must have seen it before, the mind retains a lot. Do you know how to work it?"_ He said.

" _No… Let's do that memory dive, I think we can find something."_

He nodded, saying, " _Just relax and allow me to lead us."_ I nodded as well, and he pressed his head up against mine. The edges of my vision grew dark, before tearing away like ash being blown, surrounding me in hazy darkness. He made a curious noise.

" _Everything okay?"_

" _Something is suppressing your memories, Alex."_

" _What does that mean? I have amnesia?"_

" _No. They would be fragmented if that were so, but they are not. I think you may have suppressed them yourself, or at least partially. It is there, just buried and foggy."_

" _Well can you unsuppress them?"_ I asked with impatience.

" _I can, but be warned that if you did do this, it must have been something horrible enough to destroy you then, and it may now."_

" _I caught on. Do it - not like we got any other choices."_

He said nothing, and immediately, the room melted away into a city, one filled with flying ships in the air and bustling people. Everyone was large, taller than me but also just tall in general, and wearing dreadlocks of various sizes and styles. Their skins were scaley and reptilian in nature, and their mouths consisted of crab-like appendages surrounding it with no lips or anything of the sort.

I was on some kind of catwalk, walking backwards from a multitude of people. These people were shouting, some raising weapons that I've never seen before at me. My eyes darted around, turning around for a momentary glance that I could hardly believe as I saw it.

Frank. Though much younger now and missing his light beard, I was positive it was him.

Holding a futuristic pistol to my head and dragging me away.

The crowd was moving closer and closer, and I realized what side I needed to be on.

One of the smaller ones - though in reality around my current height - a child with a necklace of yellow teeth, pointed at us. With clicks intermixed among other noises, I could hear him clear as day yelling, "Mei'hswei! Ell-osde tarei'hsan!" He made to run at us, but he was stopped and grabbed before he could take two steps.

"Cjit! Mo!" He roared. "Dtai'k-de Ah'koedhn! M'di h'chak!" Though I could not decipher the meaning now, I knew it then. Next thing I knew, I was slamming my hand against the gun and twisting, desperately trying to rip myself out of his grip. I saw for a brief moment a set of three dots in a triangle formation circling his chest, but it went away as fast as it appeared.

He punched me in the eye, spun me back around, and choked me out with his forearm, the metal of his gauntlet pressing on my neck. I grasped at it, trying to fight him as best I could, but unable to. I was much smaller then, younger by a good amount. I felt darkness steal away at my vision, threatening to take me even now as I remembered the lack of oxygen. The gun was back on my temple, though pressing down much harder.

We stopped, and I watched him open up his gauntlet like I did the dead guy's, before pressing a series of buttons and throwing it towards the crowd. Before I could even see what happened next, I was shoved inside of a small ship as he dashed to the control panel. Next thing I knew, the ship was shaking and we were taking off, the door closed before I even had a chance to realize what was happening. I got up and pressed against a large window, watching people run as the area where he tossed the gauntlet lit up with sparks and electricity, before a blinding light escaped and filled the area with a small mushroom cloud. The town quickly shrunk into a planet, and even then, that too shrunk into nothing rapidly.

I was still against the glass, stuck in shock at what had transpired. No longer was I watching my home disappear - now I was having a staring contest with the black nothingness everywhere.

My hand eventually drifted to my neck, before I jolted and looked down, looking at the nothing that was there.

But then I realized: I had worn a necklace. Exactly like that crab-faced kid's.

My sight began to fade away again, before I was back in the body pit. I was gasping for air, hyperventilating as I tried to grasp what had happened. The one memory lifted the block, and now I knew every single horrible thing that happened to me - and it trumped everything else.

" _Fuck!"_ I groaned. " _No! God, no, please!"_ Dante was beside me, supporting me from falling to the ground, and I recoiled sharply at the touch.

" _Don't fucking touch me goddamnit!"_ My eyes darted around, before I remembered the sheath and looked back down at the body I had just pilfered. He looked familiar now, and in a quick movement I was straddling him and ripping his bio-mask off. I tossed it aside and looked into his dead eyes, seeing the face of an evil creature who deserved worse.

I punched him hard in the mouth, screaming, " _You fucker!"_

 _Thwack._

" _You-"_

 _Thwack._

" _-and Frank-"_

 _Thwack._

" _-and all the rest-"_

 _Thwack._

" _-can fucking rot for all I fucking care you-"_

 _Thwack._

" _-goddamn dishonorable fucker!"_ I swung both hands overhead and slammed it into his face, before I stood up and stomped on his head twice, hearing a mandible snap. I jumped back down on him.

" _You always said you would hang my head on your trophy wall if I screamed,"_ I said, taking the long dagger out of my sheath. I got down near his bloodied green face and screamed with as much force as I could, spit flying on his face, before driving the blade into his neck and sawing. " _I'll take your fucking head."_

I sawed enough away, took the blade out, and started pulling it off his shoulders. It sounded like leather being stretched, before it came off with a sickening _pop!_ all too easily.

" _But you aren't even worth a trophy!"_

And I stood back up and punted it across the cave in rage, watching it bounce off a pile of bodies and disappear.

" _But I'll take your fucking ring as one!"_ It was a simple grey thing, which I took and put on my middle finger, since it was either that or the thumb.

" _Alex, calm down,"_ I heard Dante say softly.

" _My name's not even Alex! I'm barely even human - I'm Ah'koedhn, and I'm more Yautja than I am human!"_ I had to take a breath, just to slow myself down. " _I don't even know if my family survived the explosion. I can't even fathom who Cassandra is."_ I paused, " _I can't believe I blocked out those memories to the point of forgetting my fucking name!"_

I stepped away, let out a gasp of air, and said, " _Jesus fuck - that goddamn motherfucker got it easy! Him and Frank. And then there's the rest…!"_

Tears fought to fall down my cheeks, and I punched the wall hard enough to crack - whether it was my hand or the resin I could not tell, but my hand stayed in place as I trembled and shook with fury.

" _That sonuvabitch… How could so many…"_ I drifted off, grumbling at my inability to finish the question I could not answer, and said, " _That other hunter. I bet he's a familiar face, and I bet he ain't far away, either."_

 _His head's gonna go on a fucking stick if I see him,_ I thought. I heaved and heaved, unable to keep still or calm. Tears still dripped down, and the silence was deafening. " _Just… give me a minute."_

My blood boiled and burned, and I could feel the pulse begin to build up rapidly within. I willed it away and forced myself to remember what I had to do. I couldn't focus on this - no matter how much I wanted to desecrate their bodies beyond recognition, I needed to do what we came here to do.

" _Fuck it,"_ I said. " _We need to get X and I know how to set it now. That's all that matters. Let's get."_ I made to grab his lower half, but Dante had him over his shoulder with ease. I didn't say anything, and we started walking.

" _You have a plan?"_ I scoffed and shook my head.

 _"Improv's been doing us fine yet."_

 **PART TWO IS COMING SOON**


	9. Chapter 9: The Night We Met Part 2

Chapter 9: The Night We Met - Part 2

I could feel something crawling around the jacket that Dante suggested I wear over the harness, and something told me it wasn't blood.

A boiling water and alcohol shower would never be enough for this level of disgusting. Not even bleach. Not even a sponge bath in r'ka blood.

X is gonna shit when I tell him all this. God… Paya? Whatever! Language and culture's a fucking mess in my head right now - either way, I can _not_ bring him to a family dinner.

As we approached the main cavern where Kaia and I had originally talked, I saw masses of dark ebony filling the room.

 _We cannot fuck this up,_ I thought, _Not again._

I took the needle-guard off the injector and put it back in the pouch, looked back at Dante carrying the body, took a breath, and entered.

The Queen was still in the same place, and if the dense crowd in front of her said anything, Xerxes was too. Even from where I stood, I could see the blood around their feet.

" _Ah, I see you've returned. How do you feel, Alex? Cat got your tongue would certainly apply, wouldn't it?"_ She said. _"That's how it would be said, isn't it?"_

 _Cat's about to get blown the fuck up,_ I thought.

" _Fuck you,"_ I said. I could hear her chuckle, that deep echo lingering longer than I'd like in my head.

" _You still have some fight left in you, I'll give you that."_ She pointed at the Yautja's body with a bony claw. _"Tell me how that will help us, because all I see is future food."_

 _"This here's a bomb - and a big one at that. When we're done clearing the town, there's a good chance the military's gonna come by, maybe go in guns blazing or send in a scout team to do some recon. Either way, when they're dead, they'll blow us like Hiroshima and Nagasaki._

 _"But I can set this thing so it gets a_ bigger _boom. We retreat back into the forests, set it off, and before they even have a chance to bomb it themselves, we'll have already done it. There should be so little left that it'll be impossible to tell what happened or where we went."_

She nodded, thinking it over before saying, " _And what makes you so sure it would wipe everything out?"_ I nearly scoffed.

" _They're meant to destroy Yautja technology so thoroughly that nothing can be left over. It has to, or why even have a self-destruct function? It'll work and then some on a town with enough oomph."_

" _Not a bad plan… You've certainly proved your value to us."_ She practically hummed with satisfaction.

I nodded for far too long, neither of us speaking as an awkward pause filled the room. " _Pretty please, with a cherry on top, as a humble request and not a demand, may I see Xerxes?"_

She looked annoyed and ready to say no, before pointing and saying, " _He's over there, but be quick. They're almost done sharpening and getting ready."_

She didn't have to tell me twice. I speedwalked to the small crowd she pointed at, who dispersed and gave me a small path to go through. Nobody tried jumping me this time.

In the center was the familiar alien, sitting cross legged and mulling over his wounds which were no longer bleeding, specifically his remaining tail. He had certainly lost a good amount of blood, a good sized dip in the floor a few feet from him. Smoke drifted casually out of it.

He looked up when he heard me, and I could see his eyes with the blood crusted around his new opening. A beautiful green, almost fluorescent or neon. I could see the physical pain in them, maybe even the emotional, but I was entranced by their beauty.

That was about the only good thing, and even then, it was bittersweet. He had a new set of future scars covering his body all over, his tail blade was missing, and so were some fingers. The dorsal tubes on his back were also heavily mangled or missing entirely. Just two looked okay, or okay enough compared to the others. He had bandages over most of the cuts, the remaining ones already so small they didn't need any.

I wanted to hug him and punch him and scream at him in retaliation for what happened. But I did nothing, the two of us staring at each other for quite a few seconds. And before I knew it, tears were going down my cheeks once more - neither of us breaking eye contact.

" _I trusted you…"_ I said quietly. " _Why couldn't you trust me?"_

He didn't speak, standing up slowly and carefully, before coming closer and closer. He stopped a foot away from me, looking down at me. I still refused to look away from his eyes.

" _I'm sorry, Alex,"_ He said just as quietly.

I launched myself at him, wrapping my arms under his and holding onto him by his shoulders, pressing my face into his neck and breathing. He was certainly taken aback by this, and I guided his hands under my jacket and around my waist, having him feel the pouches and the revolver. He still had dried blood on him that flaked off, but it was more of a weak acid against the jacket than the normal and I just couldn't be bothered by it. At least it didn't touch me.

" _It's okay, X. We're still alive and that's pretty fuckin' amazing for today."_

" _I hurt you…"_

" _Yeah, well, I'll probably get hurt a lot more as the day goes on - Hell, we probably both will - so don't lose sleep over something that's gonna look real petty compared to later."_

" _Alex…"_

" _Think of it like this - if we survive, you'll almost certainly be able to get more than half in,"_ I joked rather darkly. " _You got that goin' for ya, focus on that."_ I could feel a split-second change in his mood that faded just as fast as it came.

" _That's not funny at all."_ I heavily exaggerated a scoff.

" _Who the hell would think it was supposed to be funny? I_ never _fuck around when it comes to sex."_

" _...How are you cracking jokes right now? You suffered through torture and pain and it's like nothing happened."_

I backed away to look him in the eye, those words setting something off inside.

" _Now that's where you're wrong. Joking beats talking about the real shit, for now at least. And yeah, I went through some shit, and it'll be a cold day in Hell before I talk about it, but I've been through this rodeo for a little over a decade now and it's just another Tuesday at this point. So if poor jokes and swearing a fuck-ton keeps my shit together just that bit longer, then I'll make shitty fucking Holocaust jokes all day if I've gotta, X._

" _I'm in an agony I've never experienced before, and not the kind you think. So don't you dare say that nothing's happened to me, because it sure as fuck has."_ My face was heating up as I spoke, and it was only when I finished that I realized how much of a prick I was acting like again.

" _Fuck, I need to chill,"_ I said, backing away, wiping my face and groaning in my hands, " _Sorry."_

He said nothing, looking off and away at something, probably Kaia. I shivered at the thought that she was watching us still, and I refused to look back at her. I'd get all the chance to look her in the face when she was dying,

" _Hey, look at me, please."_

His head tilted down, and I could see those beautiful eyes again.

" _I'm calm now, I swear, Xerxes."_

" _You're terrified, we both are. It's okay,"_ He spoke softly, wrapping me in his arms again. I sighed, laying my head on his chest and listening to his heartbeat. The sound was practically deafening in the silence, but I didn't allow myself to feel anything but calm towards it. An eternity of this moment and nothing else would be too short, and as I began to fear the acid was nearly through my jacket, I reluctantly pulled away.

The two of us just stared awkwardly at each other, waiting for the other to speak until I finally said, " _Do you trust me?"_

That same hesitance as the first time I asked. But this time, he said it with sureness and a curt nod, " _Yes. I trust you, Alex."_

I nodded as well, and before I was able to say anything more, I heard Kaia's voice boom throughout the cave.

" _Alex, time's up,"_ She said, and I turned towards her. " _We need to start moving, come over here."_

I gave a nod of reassurance to Xerxes, before walking closer to the three-story building. She told me to stop when I was about three yards away, bending down and wrapping two large, bony hands around my frame and lifting me up.

" _What are you doing?"_ I said, fighting to hide the panic in my voice. I was defenseless, my arms pinned to my sides.

" _In the event you are defeated and killed, you will not go to waste,"_ She said as I neared eye level with her, " _You will be implanted now so that if you do perish, you will be far along enough for the hatchling to survive."_

Had I been told this an hour ago, I would've asked, 'Wasn't that what your cronies already did to me?', before figuring that I was gonna get something shoved somewhere where the sun don't shine again.

But now, I knew exactly what she meant. Though I was never on the Prime long enough to learn much about much, Frank and the Bad Bloods we were with that long year taught and even showed me the implantation and birthing process for the r'ka. That was their fast threat to get me to do whatever right then and there.

But I know now what horrible death this will incur, one that I hadn't even thought about the risk of until now, since I figured all the spider-fucks were in some other chamber or something.

She brought my face nearer to hers, a sinister grin spreading on her lips.

" _What, are you goin' to do it? I thought you had those small crawly things to do the dirty work for ya."_

" _They're all gone,"_ She breathed, " _All of them did their job and shriveled up, and I've finished laying days ago so I could fight alongside you and everyone else."_

I shook furiously, trying to get out. I knew I wouldn't, not in a million years, but it made it seem like I had no other option and that I was completely screwed as I started psyching myself up for the _real_ escape attempt. I was less than a foot away from her now.

" _Make it easier on yourself, stop squirming and open your- Oh, why am I being kind?"_ With the smaller claws close to her chest, she pulled on my chin and nearly pierced my cheeks ripping my mouth open. In a second, her secondary mouth shot down my throat, and I knew it was now or never.

Knowing that it would be much more difficult to affect her, I put as much power into the action as possible, trying to get her to do more than just release one claw from my side, but that was enough. I could feel her surprise turned anger in a split second, but it was in that second that I took the injector out and jabbed her in the neck, pulling the trigger.

The tube down my throat shot back out as I was dropped, Kaia roaring in pain and fury as I screamed falling over twenty feet and landing on my back. The wind got knocked out of me when I landed, every muscle in my back stunned and in pain as I coughed and spat the disgusting foul taste of her saliva out. I was positive I didn't feel her impant me, that I didn't feel anything but saliva go down my gullet, but I couldn't be sure.

She gripped and clawed at her neck, nothing able to take away the pain of her flesh melting around the injection. She stopped when she realized it was impossible to stop now, and as I saw the shadows surrounding me close in, she too reached down lightening fast to snuff out my light.

I reached my hand towards her, pain going down and throughout my body as she stopped just before me. They were all around me, but no longer nearing closer, as they saw their Queen had it under control. I could feel that trickle going down my nose again, her mind overpowering my own and slowly letting her claw descend.

" _You think that you can overcome me? You think that you can defeat me? It took you_ years _before you managed to kill Frank, and you didn't even do it - your 'police' did it for you! And only when you let precious little Tony die did you finally put up a fight! Yet you think you can best_ me _?! I've fought things much stronger than a little_ runt _like you,_ _ **AND I'VE GUTTED THEM ALL!**_ _"_

I panicked, looking around the room for anything, anything at all. I twisted my head back, seeing them surround Xerxes as he spun in a circle to keep them back. When I turned back to her, I heard them tackle him to the ground, his pained screams ringing in my ears amongst his attacker's roars of carnal pleasure.

I couldn't see Dante with the bomb, and I realized that there was nothing, no-one able to help me. Her claw was dangerously close now, a foot, maybe two away and closing the distance fast.

" _I'm going to make it quick for you just to get you out of my side - we'll just have to manage without you. But we're going to continue what we've always done to Xerxes, and then we're going to breed him like Dehta and Pan-G'kuayo and all the rest breeded you, hatchling."_

My brain began to hurt worse than a migraine, but when I heard the two Bad Blood's names, I remembered everything. I remembered those cold and terrifying two years on that ship, where I was passed around by five Bad Bloods as payment for saving our asses and teaching Frank how to use most of their technology.

I can't… I can't let Xerxes go through that. _More_ of that…

 _I won't…_

I breathed faster and in short gasps, feeling the pulse build up once more. I put everything I had in forcing her back, struggling and straining and popping every vein in my body out in a moment of desperation and sheer willpower. The burning arcs of pain bore through my head, growing exponentially worse as every second ticked by, and it became hard to see as not tears, but blood, seeped out both eyes and down my cheeks. But it was working, her claw receding back as she struggled to move.

I could see them out of the corners of my blurry red eye coming near now.

" _How is this-?"_ But she never had a chance to finish.

And in a final scream of agony, the pulse went off.

* * *

I wiped my crusted eye and opened it, seeing the semi-dried blood on the back of my fist. I wiped my cheek and smeared even more on it. My head throbbed like it was a whisper from exploding.

 _I must've passed out,_ I thought. With a groan, I sat up.

Kaia's towering body was still and on its side, a good hunk of meat missing from the side of her neck, shoulder, and head. It wasn't smoking anymore. Her clawed hand that reached for me what felt like seconds before had itself a good chunk as well, holding onto the missing piece from the hole in her side.

Nowhere near as big as I hoped, but what can you do?

On both sides of me was the horde of r'ka less than a step away, all fallen over and unmoving. I got lucky, _really_ lucky.

I tried to mentally speak, a mistake that sent a sharp pain to my head the second I attempted. As I shakily stood up, I tried speaking vocally, which just came out as a mix of moans in different pitches. A sigh escaped me.

Picking up and pocketing the empty injector, I started stepping over each body and outstretched limb as I made my way to the pile holding Xerxes. None moved, even after I stepped on them, and after I dug through and tossed four other bodies on him, I saw his scarred body poking out. I moved two other bodies and grabbed him by the torso, just barely able to lift him on top of the others. The small amount of fresh blood on him didn't help any, and I was lucky I didn't get burned.

I dropped to my knees and pressed my ear against his chest, hoping that he wasn't dead.

 _Thump thump thump thump…_

I gasped and shot back up, thinking, _Oh, thank God. You aren't dead._ As I finished that thought, I looked around and realized that none of them are likely dead.

 _We need to get out of here, now._

I started shaking him hard, trying to stir him awake while I unintelligibly told him to wake up.

Ineffective.

 _Come on, don't make me do it the hard way, X. I don't even know if I can._ I lightly slapped him on the side of the head, then second, much harder one. I sighed when neither worked. _Son of a bitch._

I got my head near his, staring at his open and unfocused eyes as I got into his head. It was agony, my vision getting blurry when I forced him back to the land of the living. But it worked.

When I could just barely handle the throbbing in my head and could refocus my vision, I saw that Xerxes' eyes were dilated and awake, scanning over my face. I smiled, tapping his shoulder before getting up and offering him a hand.

As he stood up, he spun around in awe at all of the still bodies. I saw him focus on Kaia, and I only knocked him out of his stupor when I tried helping him down the body pile. He stepped carefully, then less so when he realized that nothing short of an explosion would wake them.

Once we were on somewhat solid ground, I spoke moans to show I couldn't vocalize still, before tapping my head and pointing at him while shaking my head. He watched my action, saying nothing, and I feared something else.

Digging a pen out of my pocket, I wrote, _I can't hear you,_ on my palm and showed it to him. His eyes read over it, before looking back at me and leaning forward, like he was trying to get a better signal like he was a radio. My heart hurt when I heard nothing, and I shook my head, looking down at my hand and adding, _I want to hear you so much._

He hissed quietly, taking my right hand gently and the pen, writing shakily and sloppy, _Okay._ He tapped the word before tapping himself and me, before adding, _Need to leave._

I looked at him and nodded, the pen back and writing on my left, _Need Dante._ He read it, looked around quickly, then took my hand and started walking.

* * *

I wanted to hold him, to try anything to possibly get him to hear me, to wipe the blood away from his face and bandage his eye, but we couldn't waste any time. Nobody's dead, and we don't need to be around when they decide wake.

I moved fast with him in tow, maybe a bit too fast, but I was not going to squander this opportunity.

Luckily, Dante wasn't far away or deep in the crowd of bodies, and when Alex saw the Yautja body, he broke off and headed for it quickly.

I dragged him out a ways away from the crowd, before dropping down beside him. Everyone wasn't quite asleep, but more in a coma, and likely a temporary and short one, too, but it was still fairly easy waking Dante. He shot up and looked around, seeing all the bodies around us.

"… _We are alive? How is this even-"_ He stopped suddenly, spotting Alex press various buttons on the body's wrist gauntlet. " _By the Queen-Mother, he did it… Is he okay?"_

" _He can't hear us or speak, at all. His tongue should be able to function soon, but it's going to take a while to repair his link to us."_ I shook my head slowly. " _And his eye… What happened back there, Dante?"_ He sighed.

" _He could not stop talking, until one of them had enough and took his tongue. When he retaliated, his eye was next."_

" _Damn it…"_

" _Here, hold on."_ He walked into the crowd of sleeping bodies, getting low and waking one, their head raising slowly. " _Are you feeling okay? Do you think you can wake the rest and get them out of here?"_

" _Yes… I think so,"_ She spoke. She stood slowly as Dante walked back. He stopped beside me, the two of us watching the few good wake up.

" _You know, he never did break, though."_

" _What?"_ I said, terribly confused at the sudden statement.

" _After they had hurt him, when he got back up after they left, the first thing he asked was if we were going to kill Kaia. After I helped him unlock some traumatic memories of his past to figure out the bomb, he cracked, but he never broke._ You _kept him from breaking, Xerxes. You were the thing he was fighting for this entire time, and he would not delve into madness knowing you would continue to suffer."_

" _What are you saying, Dante?"_

" _He is hurting, Xerxes, and the physical wounds are nothing compared to the mental ones. Like I said, he never broke, but he cracked, and I think anymore trauma is going to send hm over the edge, especially now that he does not have to worry about Kaia and you."_

" _I can handle him; I won't let him give up."_

" _I hope so, Xerxes,"_ He said, " _Don't let each other go, and fight everything that tries to change that."_

" _We will."_ Dante started walking off as Alex stopped pressing buttons, writing on his arm now and walking over. " _I offered you and him a spot with the rest of us, wherever we go. I do not see him taking it, though you may be able to convince him."_ Before I could reply, Alex had come over, showing us his arm. It was a little hard to make out over the blood, but it was legible.

 _Approx. 30 seconds when activated. Is that everyone?_

Dante nodded. He wrote one more word.

 _Ready?_

We both nodded, and he turned and ran to the body. Twelve others, out of the three-hundred closer to four, were awake now. I knew others like Dante and I we're here, but I didn't know it was that many. We're the anomaly, we're not supposed to be the way we are, so twelve out of a few hundred was massive.

And it was amazing that we were all leaving, too.

Dante spoke quickly, " _Everyone, come on, we need to leave, now!"_ No one hesitated and few looked back, Dante and the twelve running quickly for the exit.

I sprinted to Alex, seeing his finger hover over a gently flashing button. He looked at me, fear in his eye, and I took his hand. I intertwined our fingers tight, leaving our pointers side by side so that we would both press it. He looked terrified, all of a sudden darting forward and kissing me. It was short, but he was gasping for breath when he pulled away, eyes wide as he nodded. I nodded as well, the two of us looking back on the bomb and pressing the button.

We ran as fast as we could, stepping on arms and legs hard and quick. Alex gripped my hand tight, managing to keep up his pace well enough at my full sprint. I could hear beeping from the center of the room, slowly getting faster, but I didn't focus on that.

We got out of the main cavern fast, running uphill in the hall. Our breaths were hard, the two of us putting everything we had in getting out of here. I could barely hear the beeping, but I knew we had about half our time limit left.

Bodies in the walls on our left and right, none awake but not all dead. I could feel Alex slow at the sight of them, wanting to help them, but they were already doomed and we could do nothing about it, so I pulled him hard and made him keep up.

I could just faintly see it get brighter, my eyes painfully adjusting to it the further we went. I could hear the pouring rain, see it flood down the slippery slope and into the hive. Our running had slowed down at the steepness, the two of us no longer holding onto each other and scrambling up the hill, grabbing fistfulls of hardened resin.

Nearing the top, I saw Dante and the first he woke up at the peak, the two reaching out to pull us up. As they grabbed us, they both started to snarl and hiss, our sister saying, " _Watch out!"_

The second Alex grabbed her hand, he was tugged back down forcefully. He screamed in pain, and as I got up and over, I helped pull him out. I could see down where we came, seeing that one had woken up and was digging deep into Alex's leg, pulling him down with him.

The other and I each had a hand, and my stomach lurched when I saw him slip from her grip. But it was when he dug at his left side and pulled out his weapon that I saw he had let go, and in a quick movement, he aimed and fired twice, my former brother's body going limp and sliding down the slope with two holes in his skull. We could hear others coming, but we could _feel_ the earth tremble and shake, our time having ran out.

I heaved Alex the rest of the way out, the other and I supporting him as we sprinted the rest of the way. " _Go, go, don't stop!"_ I shouted. The exit was there in its blinding glory, and it wasn't soon enough when I felt the rain hit my body.

We made it an extra five steps before the mouth of the cave exploded and blew us deeper into the woods. I lost Alex, having been separated by the blast before skidding to a stop in the mud on my side. I groaned and hissed softly, looking at the dark sky with a blinding pain that I grew used to quickly.

There was a lingering pain, a phantom of it that didn't truly exist, but that I certainly felt. There was a moment of agony as the hive died, a second of suffering screaming, until all was silent and life was dead. It hurt, but it was nowhere near as painful as it should've been. A massacre had just taken place, one paramount to our survival and many others, and it was frustrating that it didn't hurt more, like life being snuffed out should be painless. It just didn't feel right, especially if we took out the Queen.

We should all be in agony, but we're not; it's the equivalent of a deep scratch - it hurts, but it isn't life ending.

 _Doesn't matter,_ I thought, getting up and looking around. Others were like me, getting up slowly and examining the area. I could hear many of them unable to believe we'd made it out - I could hardly believe it myself.

I saw him, not that far from me around a large tree, carefully standing and leaning on the tall plant. He looked at the now collapsed cave and started laughing hard, a loud sound over the rain that had everyone staring at him. It got harder and harder, until it quickly turned into choked sobs that shook his body.

I grabbed him and held him tight, kissing him gently near his ear. Everyone still stared, but no longer was it due to his strange laughter, but in understanding. I could barely hear Dante silently mutter in the background.

" _Shed your tears, brother. We all have."_

* * *

Our crowd of fifteen moved with haste, Xerxes and Dante helping me along. We wanted to get as far away from the cave as possible, and I really didn't care if this was or wasn't the right way home, I just needed to get away at the moment, too. Injuries would be looked over soon - I guess a few others got into scrapes like X did when I was taken away. All of this was told on my arm in terrible handwriting.

After that, I don't know. And honestly, I don't care.

I just did what I could - grit my teeth and kept walking.

My shoes were muddy and waterlogged, my socks soggy and wet, each step slightly sinking into the mud. I held my injured leg behind me like it was broken, feeling the warm blood slowly trickle down to my socks or drip into the mud with the rain. It burned, but it just blended into the general ache over my body.

I started to hum _American Pie_ at some point, and after the fifth time, I got stuck on _This'll be the day that I die_ , looping on that same beat for who knows how long before giving out and stopping where I stood. We had to have been far enough by now, and I just shook my head when they looked at me. I didn't need to check my watch to know we'd been walking for the better part of an hour.

The bandage encasing my tongue felt loose for a bit now, and I pulled it out slowly and carefully. They set me down beneath a tree with a large enough canopy to catch the rain, the hard resin still on my back not making it very comfortable. Xerxes was behind me, letting my head rest on his cross-legged lap. He took my makeshift eyepatch off gently as I felt my pant leg get rolled up. I could see him visibly grimace, his eyes dilating just slightly.

"Jesus, that bad, huh?" I cracked, my voice breaking but not as bad as I would've thought.

He hesitated and shook his head, carefully wiping away the blood on my cheeks. I sighed at the gentle grooming, enjoying the simple feeling of his fingers running over me. Closer to my eye, he reached for a leaf and used that softly.

When he stopped to start making the bandage, I looked down and saw Dante and another tending to my leg. The other, who I believe was the once who tried pulling me out of the cave earlier, was doing what X was doing - using wet leaves to wash the blood off. Dante was making his own bandage, carefully wrapping it around my leg when he was finished. As I said my thanks, Xerxes tapped my shoulder gently, and when I looked up, I saw he was finished and ready to apply his bandage.

"It is going to be a cold day in Hell before we do this again, alright?"

He nodded quickly, ready to put it on. He pulled back my resin-matted hair and placed it on, the material sticking with ease to my skin. The pain was still there on both, but it hurt less by some small margin. He leaned over and gave it a gentle peck of the lips, pulling away and looking me in the eye.

"God, you're sweet. You know that?" He nodded and pecked me on the lips.

"How's your eyes? They've gotta hurt some, don't they?" He nodded again, slowly this time. "Bandage them, please. They're beautiful, but don't keep yourself in pain."

He grabbed my arm, acting like he was writing something, and I handed him the pen. He took it and my arm, and when he finished, it read, _Pain tolerable, can't see with bandage, can heal slowly._

"I… Oh. Crap, and only you know the way back. We're heading in the right direction of home, right?"

He nodded.

"And we still have a ways to go, don't we?"

Another nod.

"Well, shit… They _are_ gorgeous at least."

He pecked me again, his thin lips on mine for longer this time.

Others moved about and around us, treating the wounded, keeping watch, or staying close to each other and likely talking. The sky was dark, all the stars hidden by the rain. It sort of made me realize how little I've stopped to even look at them. I was gonna have to make that happen when it was actually clear out, but until then, I focused on the light flashes hidden in the thick gray.

"Those people on the walls, they… They were at the party. I remembered some of their faces, X. I… Jesus, we gave them mercy, right?"

Instead of nodding, he wrote, _We did what we could._

I sighed as I spoke, saying, "God, I hope you're right. I really do." A moment of silence passed, and then another, before I continued. "I… I've gotta tell you something, Xerxes."

He tilted his head to the side, certainly interested somewhat.

"Back when Dante was getting me to the bomb, after he freed me, he wanted me and you to come along with him to wherever his new hive's gonna be… He probably told you all of this already, but… I- I can't. I want to so, so bad, X, but I… I have this terrible feeling that if I come with, _everyone's_ going to die. I can't have that on me, I'll go insane if it does.

"But I… I can't make you live in hiding among an unknown-" He stopped me mid sentence with the palm of his hand covering my mouth, leaning in close so that we were face to face. Still having the pen, he looked away to write on me again, but he did not back up or remove his hand. Only after further covering the back of my arm with writing did he pull away his hand.

 _I intended to go with you before this offer, Alex, and I still do. Wherever that leads us, I don't care, I just want to go with you. You don't have to make me do anything, I'm here for good._

When I looked back at him, he leaned forward and kissed me before I could even say anything, our lips softly wrestling. He had me gasping for breath again when he pulled away, our faces still less than an inch apart.

"…I don't know what to say, X," I breathed, "You're amazing, truly something else. How you deal with my shit is beyond me."

He didn't write anything else, placing the pen in my hand before dragging me up and onto his lap, my back against his warm chest. He wrapped and locked his arms around me, resting his head on my shoulder.

"Shit is gonna be so weird once we get on the road. We'll figure it out, though, I know it."

He placed a single finger on my lips, and when I felt a tug on my brain, I realized what he was doing.

"What, haven't you talked enough? Maybe I want to get a word in edgewise, X," I joked.

He growled low.

"Fine, fine."

The tug got harder and harder as the minutes went by, until it started to hurt. I didn't say anything and kept my cool, until we were about ten minutes in and it had devolved into full-on agony.

"X, you've gotta stop! Fucking Christ it hurts!"

He didn't, and I started gritting my teeth at how much it felt like my head was going to explode. It stayed like that for another minute or two before peaking, my brain feeling like an ice pick was poking around. I groaned quietly in pain, until it started to subside quickly, leaving a dull throb as a reminder. Both of my hands clutched my temples, a small imprint left over from how hard I pressed down on them.

"God… Tell me it worked and that the mental skull-fucking is over with, X, please."

" _It was a lot more peaceful when you couldn't speak, I was able to actually think a little."_ I laughed quietly, more of a chuckle than anything.

"My voice is a fucking lullaby and you know damn well that you love it." I smiled real big when he started laughing, too.

" _Ha! You wish! I could screech and roar a symphony better than your 'lullaby' of a voice."_

"It's a literal headache to hear your voice, but God am I glad I can hear it now." I sunk back into him and relaxed, the throb still there but gradually lessening in intensity.

" _Are you okay?"_

"My head hurts and I'm half blind, so it could be better I suppose… But that's not what you meant, is it?"

" _No."_

"I take it Dante told you about how we were able to figure out the bomb?"

" _Yes."_

"I'm okay right now, but I'll explain everything later. I just committed genocide and I would really rather just sit here by you, okay?"

" _Deal."_

A few seconds of silence.

"Actually, let me up for a moment, would you?" He did.

The pain in my leg was still there, but I could definitely walk on it now. I rolled the pant leg down, or at least the tatters that remained, before stretching my limbs and popping my neck, letting out a deep breath.

"Why the hell am I still wearing this?" I said, taking my deadman's jacket off and tossing it off into the darkness. I took the harness off, too, hanging it on a low branch.

I stepped out from the canopy and into the rain, letting it wash off the rotten blood and stink on me. I wiped furiously at anything that felt like it was moving, finding a maggot or another creepy-crawly here and there.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I felt rough but gentle hands on my shoulders, completely unable to hear Xerxes come up behind me. I could feel him try and dig his claws under the resin on my back carefully, trying to pry it off. Once he got it started, it just peeled off like dead skin in hard chunks that he'd have to pry off again. It hurt and felt sensitive where it came off, like I had a light rash or a thin layer of skin was missing. It felt good nonetheless.

"Thank you, good God that feels so much better," I said, turning to face him. He made to remove the chunks from my hair, and I grabbed his hand in a flash. "Hey, wait now, that stays. I'll have to cut it out, but I'd like to look somewhat normal for whoever's gonna be home. I can just put a hat over it then."

" _Hey Alex?"_

"Yes?"

" _Your eye."_

"My… I don't have any scissors."

The blade of his tail came up from behind and dangled over his shoulder, a sinister grin on his face. I slowly took a step back.

"I don't want my hair cut, goddammit."

" _Alex."_

"You don't even know how to cut hair!"

" _Alex…"_

"If you're not careful, the lack of hair'll probably kill me!"

" _I don't have to read any of your first aid journals to know that's bullshit, Alex."_

"X, please!"

* * *

"You better be careful, Xerxes, or one day you'll wake up and find out that I put some long-lasting fluorescent pink shit all over you." My hand ran over the roughness of my head now, all the hair missing and only a very short amount of stubble remaining.

At least he kept it even.

" _You better be careful or you'll wake up one day and find that you're missing hair from a lot more than just your head."_

I couldn't help but gasp at the possibility, before giggling and outright laughing at the idea of me being completely hairless and him being bright pink instead of his dark, dark blue. I was dying laughing, much louder than earlier, though I could hear X giggling with me, too.

And then that stopped dead in its tracks when we both stopped suddenly, the two of us looking at each other seriously. The air seemed to go still as we listened, distant thunder and rainfall masking most sound. Nothing abnormal was heard, not this entire time and not now, but it was like a change in the air.

" _You feel it, too?"_ I said.

" _Yes. We need to leave, now."_ I started for the hanging harness, Xerxes right beside me. " _Dante, we need to leave. Alex and I are having a bad feeling about staying any longer."_

" _We were just about to leave. Everyone is feeling it, not just you,"_ He said.

The second I got to the harness, I dropped it over me and pulled out the revolver. I popped the cylinder in and out with a click real fast, seeing the remaining three rounds. I pulled the hammer back as I brought it up in a one-handed aim, grabbing Xerxes's hand tightly with my other.

" _Jesus Christ, I don't need perfect vision to know there's eyes in the dark."_

" _There's certainly more here. Just stay calm and keep that gun ready."_

Didn't have to tell me twice.

We moved slowly, our eyes darting throughout the woods and trees surrounding us. We only made it four steps before Xerxes tackled me to the ground, the blur of r'ka passing me by in the corner of my vision. A groan escaped me at my leg crashing into the ground like that, but it didn't stop me from bringing the gun up and shooting the already charging creature in the head.

The good news was that I only needed to pull it once, a hole in his head kindly making him stumble and fall to the ground.

The bad news was that the gunshot was going to attract unwanted attention.

The worse news was that the flash revealed the unwanted attention was already here and hiding in the dark.

"Shit, c'mon, go, go, go!" I yelled.

The two of us scrambled up, pushing and pulling each other up and sprinting as hard as we could.

We did not hesitate, the two of us running as fast as when we ran out of the cave, hand in hand, I did not let the pain in my leg slow me down any. When we ran through where the group was, I let him go and turned and fired off my last two shots, dropping one in dozens of others.

"They're here! Everyone follow us and don't stop!" I yelled even louder, my throat getting raw.

I didn't even look back to see if they were following us, running shortly behind Xerxes now and trying to catch up.

I looked down briefly to reload, and when I looked back up, I saw him pinned against a tree, struggling against his attacker. I didn't dare stop if any were behind me, and it was all too likely that I could shoot Xerxes by accident. I pushed harder in the mud, gritting my teeth as I went as fast as I could, holstering the gun and pulling out the dagger.

As I quickly closed the gap, I bounded off a fallen tree and drove the dagger into his head, the two of us falling to the ground. The sharp blade had no resistance at all, and as my hand sank into the mud to lessen the impact, I found that half of his head was hanging on by mere tendons and nerves. It sliced so much so fast that all the pressure in his blood was lost, none shooting out and hitting me, though it did try to eat the metal.

Before the momentum of jumping, stabbing, and landing could fully leave me, Xerxes was grabbing me by the back of my arm and getting me to run again. I could hear roars and screeches back the way we came, closer than I'd like to admit. I just wish I could tell if they were our guys' or not.

Either way, they neither got closer nor further.

Fifteen minutes of pure running, ducking, dodging, and weaving between trees, and I had to slow down to catch my breath.

"X," I gasped, "We gotta be getting close, right?" He still gripped onto me and was all but dragging me along for the ride.

" _At least another ten minutes. Just keep going!"_

"Another-?! Xerxes, I've great stamina, but not as good as y'all's. And I can't get the damn car hotwired in time if they're on our asses like this the whole way there - they'll eat us alive before I even have the steering column opened up!" He finally started slowing down himself, and I started sucking in air deep and fast.

" _What do we do then? Fight and hope for the best?"_

"Somehow it's even worse than that.

"I need you and all the others to keep them busy. Doesn't have to be fighting, y'all can just lead 'em around, give 'em a tour of some nature or something, fuck if I care."

"They _lead them around, I stay with you."_

"No dice, love. _You_ know the way back - they don't. Don't argue with me, we gotta do this now."

" _Damn you, Alex Danar,"_ He growled. He hugged and kissed me fast. " _Go, be quick."_ We made to start running our separate ways.

"I dunno who's who, just tell some to get with me and keep me covered!" I shouted, the two of us running off.

I could hear two others running beside me in seconds, the three of us going full sprint. I could make the ten minutes without taking another break, I think.

"Y'all got names?" I asked. I didn't have to shout as loud now, most of the horde sounded like it screwed off. _Most_.

" _Taz,"_ He said.

" _Maka,"_ She said.

"Taz, Maka, when we get to the house, I need you two to guard the perimeter and make sure nothing comes my way. I've gotta get someone out of the house before we leave, but I'll be as quick as I can."

" _We're not wasting more-"_

" _Taz,"_ Maka interrupted, " _He has risked his life to get us free, you can wait if you need to."_

He was silent.

"Thank you," I said.

She was silent, too.

By the time I faintly saw the house, the sounds following us were quieter, less in intensity and volume now. It was still there, of course, but better than earlier.

The two broke off, starting up their perimeter as I crept up to my bedroom window. It was unlocked - all of them were, why would you lock them out here? - and I slid it open quietly.

I jumped up and pulled my ass in, carefully stepping on my mattress and onto the floor. The sudden warmth made me shiver some.

Opening up my closet, I put on a long sleeve gray shirt under the harness and a light red jacket over it. Now I just had to hit the garage for some wire strippers.

Shit, there's no way they'd all fit in that tiny car. Maybe my truck, but they'd have to hold out for so long it'd be more worth it if they just ran.

One problem at a time, kid.

I sighed. "Showtime!"

I ripped the door open and let it slam on the wall, hearing her and some guy stop mid-conversation.

"Cassandra, we gotta leave right fucking now!" I shouted, ducking into the bathroom. The mirror looked like a breath away from cracking when I turned the light on.

Even the rain couldn't wash away all that blood.

"A-Alex?" I heard her say.

I shook my head and opened it, grabbing a prescription bottle of painkillers given to me after Frank stabbed me, the bottle never opened. The lid had a 2 written in black, a reminder of how many to take since I tore off anything revealing this as the good, potent shit that it was in hopes that Cassandra wouldn't take any random unmarked pills, which she didn't.

Good thing, too. She could've gotten real fucked up on these if she did.

I had them saved for an emergency all this time, and I was glad I forgot to pack them up with everything else.

I popped the cap and took three, washing it down with the tap and then some before pocketing the bottle as she came in.

"Jesus Christ, kid, what the fuck happened to ya?"

"You need to listen to me," I started, "It's not safe here and we have got to go!"

"We're not going anywhere."

Time stopped. My heart dropped hard.

She did not say a word, and if she was now, I didn't hear her.

All I heard was my crawl of a heartbeat.

I could visibly see the color drain from me in the mirror as I shot out the room.

Down the hall, in the kitchen, was a lone man. A light beard and bloody bandage on his leg stuck out immediately.

And then he turned, facing my way.

 _No._

I got a good look at him.

 _No, nonononono..._

I felt violently ill.

 _How…?_

The man continued, "Long time no see, Alex."

I stood frozen, the whole world shutting down around me as the fear, and the pain and the loss flooded back to me.

"Don't you miss your dad, son?"

 **As always, thanks goes to my beta-reader and editor, Incurser. He writes some, too, on here and DeviantArt. Go ahead and give him a gander. Might as well, it's gonna be a very hot minute before the next (and possibly last) chapter is uploaded.**


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